Dharshini RDA 
Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, will develop an advanced air quality management system with China’s help to combat a long-lasting smog and pollution crisis, according to a statement from the province’s chief minister’s office published on Wednesday.
Last month, smog smothered Pakistan’s eastern province of Punjab for weeks, sickening nearly two million people and shrouding vast swathes of the province in a toxic haze.
On Wednesday, Lahore, the capital of Punjab, was ranked the sixth most polluted city in the world by the Swiss air monitoring organisation IQAir, and its concentration of PM2.5, which includes air particles that damage the lungs, was 20.5 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s annual guide value. The province closed schools and offices for several days last month, banned outdoor activities and reduced the hours of restaurants, shops and markets in an attempt to combat the smog.
‘An agreement has been reached to develop an advanced air quality management system in Punjab with the collaboration of China,’ Punjab’s ruling PML-N party said in an X message after Sharif’s meeting with Chinese environmental authorities. ‘The decision to establish the Beijing-Punjab Joint Working Group on Clean Air has been taken.
Officials also discussed wildlife conservation and plantation projects. Sharif said Punjab would benefit from China’s expertise and experience in setting up an e-transport system in the province.
Beijing has taken significant steps to tackle worsening air quality, declaring a ‘war on pollution’ in 2015. Crucial measures include reducing coal consumption, increasing renewable energy capacity and improving air quality monitoring systems.
But researchers said last month that China’s carbon dioxide emissions were set to rise slightly this year, despite rapid progress in renewables and electric vehicles, putting a key 2025 climate target even further out of reach.
China aims to reduce the amount of CO2 it produces per unit of economic growth by 18% over the period 2021-2025, but it has fallen behind again this year due to rising energy demand, the Helsinki-based Centre for Energy and Clean Air Research (CREA) said in its annual assessment.
