Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10ISLAMABAD290
2010-02-05 05:01:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:
MOE ON COPENHAGEN ACCORD, LEADERSHIP CHANGES
how-toVZCZCXRO7113 RR RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTRO DE RUEHIL #0290 0360501 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 050501Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7228 INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 8459 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 2855 RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 7518 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1443 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2334 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 6051
UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000290
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV SOCI TBIO ECON PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: MOE ON COPENHAGEN ACCORD, LEADERSHIP CHANGES
REF: A) STATE 11182
UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000290
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV SOCI TBIO ECON PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: MOE ON COPENHAGEN ACCORD, LEADERSHIP CHANGES
REF: A) STATE 11182
1. (SBU) EconOff delivered reftel demarche to Secretary of
Environment Kamran Lashari on 4 February, emphasizing the importance
of the Copenhagen Accord as a vital first step toward addressing the
issue of climate change. The Secretary revealed that responsibility
for Pakistan's position on the Accord has been shifted to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that the announcement of the GOP's
intentions is in the "final stages of preparation."
2. (SBU) Lashari's appointment as Secretary to the Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Resources had been announced in the morning's
papers and, as a self-proclaimed "short-timer," he was eager to
discuss the Ministry of Environment's (MOE's) accomplishments during
his tenure and to reflect upon the increased attention environmental
issues are receiving within the Pakistani government. "After
Copenhagen there is excitement about environmental issues and there
has been a change in the way the Cabinet addresses environmental
issues and initiatives I bring to them," he commented. One of these
initiatives was the recent move to restructure the Global Change
Impact Studies Center (GCISC) from a temporary research arm of the
GOP to an autonomous body within the government. Lashari reported
that when he suggested this change to the Cabinet after the
Copenhagen conference he found very little resistance to the idea
and encountered few of the questions he expected about GCISC's
long-term value.
3. (SBU) Among the many projects begun by the MOE during Lashari's
tenure, the Secretary listed the push for green education as one of
the most vital. Using Islamabad as a model city (Note: the
Secretary previously headed Islamabad's administrative body, the
Capital Development Authority. End Note.) the MOE worked with the
Ministry of Education to establish Green Clubs in 248 of Islamabad's
schools. These clubs will engage in a competition to develop
conservation projects that will be judged this spring by a panel of
public figures, including the Prime Minister and Pakistani film
stars. The Ministries of Education and Environment also worked
together to create an environmental education curriculum that was
included in class syllabi for the spring 2010 term.
4. (SBU) Lashari expressed some regret at leaving his post while
some projects were still incomplete, specifically pointing to
Pakistan's proposal to increase forest cover in the country from the
current five percent to six percent by 2015. "We also have 100
carbon credit projects in the pipeline that I would like to see
finalized," Lashari lamented. "But I will always be an
environmentalist now that I have seen how important this is to
Pakistan, and I will take this mentality on to my next assignment."
PATTERSON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV SOCI TBIO ECON PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: MOE ON COPENHAGEN ACCORD, LEADERSHIP CHANGES
REF: A) STATE 11182
1. (SBU) EconOff delivered reftel demarche to Secretary of
Environment Kamran Lashari on 4 February, emphasizing the importance
of the Copenhagen Accord as a vital first step toward addressing the
issue of climate change. The Secretary revealed that responsibility
for Pakistan's position on the Accord has been shifted to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that the announcement of the GOP's
intentions is in the "final stages of preparation."
2. (SBU) Lashari's appointment as Secretary to the Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Resources had been announced in the morning's
papers and, as a self-proclaimed "short-timer," he was eager to
discuss the Ministry of Environment's (MOE's) accomplishments during
his tenure and to reflect upon the increased attention environmental
issues are receiving within the Pakistani government. "After
Copenhagen there is excitement about environmental issues and there
has been a change in the way the Cabinet addresses environmental
issues and initiatives I bring to them," he commented. One of these
initiatives was the recent move to restructure the Global Change
Impact Studies Center (GCISC) from a temporary research arm of the
GOP to an autonomous body within the government. Lashari reported
that when he suggested this change to the Cabinet after the
Copenhagen conference he found very little resistance to the idea
and encountered few of the questions he expected about GCISC's
long-term value.
3. (SBU) Among the many projects begun by the MOE during Lashari's
tenure, the Secretary listed the push for green education as one of
the most vital. Using Islamabad as a model city (Note: the
Secretary previously headed Islamabad's administrative body, the
Capital Development Authority. End Note.) the MOE worked with the
Ministry of Education to establish Green Clubs in 248 of Islamabad's
schools. These clubs will engage in a competition to develop
conservation projects that will be judged this spring by a panel of
public figures, including the Prime Minister and Pakistani film
stars. The Ministries of Education and Environment also worked
together to create an environmental education curriculum that was
included in class syllabi for the spring 2010 term.
4. (SBU) Lashari expressed some regret at leaving his post while
some projects were still incomplete, specifically pointing to
Pakistan's proposal to increase forest cover in the country from the
current five percent to six percent by 2015. "We also have 100
carbon credit projects in the pipeline that I would like to see
finalized," Lashari lamented. "But I will always be an
environmentalist now that I have seen how important this is to
Pakistan, and I will take this mentality on to my next assignment."
PATTERSON