The Institute of Regional Studies in Islamabad hosted the PAK-C2 Energy Transition Dialogue as a Pre-COP 30 event under its Climate Resilience Program and Central Asia Program. Senator Sherry Rehman attended as chief guest and keynote speaker, outlining policy priorities and the urgency of coordinated mitigation action to enable an equitable Energy Transition in Pakistan. Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, president of IRS, delivered both welcome and concluding remarks, emphasising the strategic timing of the dialogue ahead of COP30.
Speakers included Mr. Saadullah Ayaz, Member (Mitigation) at the Pakistan Climate Change Authority; Engr. Khuda Bukhsh, CEO of the Engineering Development Board; Dr. Nikita Illeritskiy, Leading Research Fellow at the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, Russian Academy of Sciences; and Mr. Muhammad Faisal Sharif, Director at the Private Power & Infrastructure Board. The discussion addressed Pakistan’s initiatives for low-carbon growth, industrial sustainability and the policy and investment levers needed to accelerate the Energy Transition.
Panelists explored how mitigation strategies, industry standards and private sector participation can combine to reduce emissions while sustaining economic development. Contributors stressed the need for regionally coordinated approaches that leverage technical cooperation and shared infrastructure to scale green energy and sustainable industry across neighbouring economies.
The dialogue concluded with calls for strengthened public-private collaboration and greater regional cooperation to translate commitments into deliverable low-carbon projects, reinforcing momentum for Pakistan’s Energy Transition as the country prepares for COP30.
