PM Shehbaz highlights Pakistan's solar 'revolution by ordinary citizens' at COP31

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the COP31 clean-energy dialogue in Antalya that Pakistan had installed nearly 22 gigawatts of rooftop solar capacity in two years. Dawn reported that he described the shift as a move by households seeking cheaper and cleaner power, and said clean sources now account for nearly 55 per cent of the country’s energy mix.

Shehbaz also cited the planned Chashma-5 nuclear plant, which is expected to add 1,200 megawatts, and said a draft auto policy aims for electric vehicles to make up 30 per cent of new vehicle sales by 2030. He noted that more than one in 10 motorcycles sold in Pakistan this year was electric. He said the country would need about $138 billion for low-carbon power by 2035, plus another $50 billion to replace coal with solar, and called for accessible climate finance and affordable technology.