Pathways to Decarbonization: Industry, Energy, and Policy – Two-Day Training Series
Alternate Development Services (ADS), in collaboration with the Institute for Transformative Leadership (ITL), organized a two-day training series on industrial decarbonization in Islamabad on 1–2 October 2026. Designed for young professionals aged 20–40 from industry and manufacturing and from organizations working on energy-transition policy and advocacy, the training pursued three objectives: building a shared understanding of Pakistan’s energy transition, strengthening cross-sector engagement between industry and civil society, and introducing a systems thinking approach. Six sessions covered the economics of decarbonization, climate action priorities, emissions baselining in textiles, the social pillar of ESG, access to climate finance, and systems thinking, using case studies, role-plays and group exercises. Participants rated each session and shared written and oral feedback at the end.
Key Points
- 1The Economics of Decarbonization (Dr. Yasir Zada Khan): Energy accounts for 30–40% of textile production cost in Pakistan versus 15–20% in Bangladesh and India, and energy prices and levies, not labelled carbon taxes, act as the country’s real carbon price. Imported RLNG prices rose by 147% between February and August 2026.
- 2Climate Action Priorities for Industrial Success (Dr. Zaeem Bin Babar): Climate action is credible only if it is fair to workers, industries and communities. Using a Faisalabad dyeing unit case study, participants role played key stakeholders and built a 24-month plan combining low cost efficiency measures, rooftop solar, heat recovery, and third party verification.
- 3Baseline for Decarbonization in the Textile Sector (Dr. Jawaria Shakeel): No baseline means no pathway. Among Pakistani textile companies disclosing in 2021–2026, reporting coverage was 5% for Scope 1, 65% for Scope 2 and 60% for Scope 3. A yarn-manufacturer case study showed Scope 1+2 emissions falling from 55.6 kt CO₂e (2023) to 51.4 kt (2025), with 2030 scenarios of -40% and -70%.
- 4The “S” in ESG (Mr. Amjad Nazeer): A certificate is not a safety system. The session linked just transition and labour standards to market access, including EU GSP+ requirements (27 conventions now, 32 from 2027), and used role-play scenarios on overtime, contract workers and freedom of association.
- 5Access to Climate Finance for Decarbonization (Ms. Fatima Qureshi): Taxonomy alignment and bankability are separate tests, so a green project can still be declined. The session traced the State Bank of Pakistan’s path from the 2017 Green Banking Guidelines to the Green Taxonomy (December 2025) and outlined how to identify, assess and finance decarbonization opportunities.
- 6Systems Thinking in the Industrial Landscape (Mr. Ammar Qaseem): Interconnected systems need coordinated pathways, not single-point fixes. The session showed how businesses, people, policies, infrastructure and communities are linked, and how decisions in one part of the system shape outcomes elsewhere.