Transparency International Pakistan (TI Pakistan), in collaboration with the Office of the Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, on Thursday held a high-level parliamentary consultation to discuss legislative and institutional reforms aimed at strengthening carbon markets governance in Pakistan.
The consultation brought together members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, government officials and technical experts to deliberate on measures needed to establish a transparent, accountable and credible carbon market framework in line with international standards.
During the meeting, TI Pakistan Executive Director Kashif Ali presented the organization’s Legislative Roadmap for Strengthening Carbon Markets Governance, identifying four key reform priorities. These include the enactment of a comprehensive Carbon Markets Framework Act, clear legal provisions governing the ownership and transfer of carbon credits and Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), the establishment of a national Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system and national emissions baseline aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and mandatory benefit-sharing, community safeguards, Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and effective grievance redress mechanisms for carbon market projects.
The consultation was chaired by Asif Khan Mehsud, Convener of the SDGs Taskforce, who emphasized that a strong legislative framework is essential to ensure carbon markets contribute to Pakistan’s climate commitments and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ahmad Kamal, Additional Secretary (Development), Climate Change, Forestry, Environment and Wildlife Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, highlighted the province’s vast forest resources and stressed the need to strengthen institutional capacity, technical expertise and investment to unlock its carbon market potential.
Chairperson of the Provincial Assembly’s Standing Committee on Energy and Power Daud Shah Afridi said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could build on the success of its afforestation initiatives to attract climate finance while ensuring transparency, accountability and sustainable development.
The consultation was attended by lawmakers from across the political spectrum, including Johar Muhammad, Zahidullah Khan, Anwar Zeb Khan, Shah Abu Turab, Aurangzeb Khan, Gul Ibrahim, Abdul Salam Afridi, Sharafat Ali, Muhammad Riaz, Iftikhar Ali Mashwani, Sher Ali Afridi, Arbab Muhammad Usman Khan, Arbab Zarak Khan, Ali Hadi, Mehr Sultana, Farah Khan, Jamila Paracha, Naheeda Noor, Gurpal Singh, and Arshad Ahmed, Commissioner of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission.
Technical experts Hamza Rafay Butt, Climate and Nature Finance Expert, and Syed Bulent Sohail, Managing Partner of Sohail & Partners, highlighted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s comparative advantages in carbon markets and identified governance and regulatory gaps that require legislative attention.
In his concluding remarks, Justice (Retd.) Zia Perwez, Chairman of Transparency International Pakistan, underscored the importance of sustained parliamentary leadership in ensuring that carbon markets are governed with transparency, accountability and integrity. He said a robust legal framework would enable Pakistan to attract high-quality climate finance while safeguarding public interest and maximizing benefits for local communities.
