ISLAMABAD: Participants in the National SDGs Conference 2024 on Thursday recommended that in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals under global commitments, the government incorporate family planning, universal health care, the environment, and subsidised solarization into the development policy, even as it plans to tweak the rapidly expanding solar net metering policy.
The Ministry of Planning and Development organized a one-day conference that drew together experts, legislators, national and international stakeholders, representatives of the UN, civil society, academia, and specialists from other sectors.
The objective was to provide efficient plans and guidelines for implementing the SDGs by 2030.
Currently, MPs’ suggestions for the SDGs are spending about Rs100 billion, with little attention paid to the goals themselves. Instead, the money might be used for the government’s planning and development initiatives.
Conference working groups recommended setting baselines and reporting on improvements and changes by making public data sets on environment indicators, followed by the implementation of environment policy with defined milestones. One of the working groups that advocated for the formation of technical and apex committees on the environment with participation from all provinces, the private sector, the media, and academics suggested that the carbon credit policy be adopted in order to increase exports.
The conference also recommended smart urbanization, which calls for the implementation of public transportation policies in large cities to support energy-saving best practices. In order to encourage renewable energy, it also advocated for the widespread distribution of inexpensive solar systems and the consideration of the effects that these policies and actions would have on marginalized populations.
In order to achieve inclusive development and end poverty, a different working group requested that the government increase the contribution of women to the labor force. This development should also prioritize the 20th poorest districts.
The urgency of lowering energy production costs and promoting efficiency in energy generation and consumption was emphasized by the economists.
A social sector organization demanded that family planning behavior change communication strategies and increased attention be given to incorporating people with disabilities in education policies.
