PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has officially launched the province’s first Carbon Asset Inventory to promote renewable energy and climate-friendly development.
This major step has been taken with the support of the UK-funded Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Programme.
The inventory, prepared in collaboration with the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO), maps various renewable energy projects in the province and evaluates their potential to earn carbon credits and International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs).
At the launch event, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said the initiative showed KP’s commitment to fighting climate change and adopting clean energy. “This is a big step towards green development. It proves our readiness to meet international environmental goals,” he said.
He added that this modern inventory system will help measure how much carbon emissions have been reduced through PEDO’s energy projects and will attract green investment in KP. He called the launch a “historic moment” and praised the joint efforts of PEDO and SEED in making it possible.
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Gandapur said KP has huge potential in renewable energy, with many ongoing and upcoming projects. He also highlighted an agreement between PEDO and the Pakistan Environment Trust (PET) as an important milestone for using clean energy to strengthen the province’s economy.
According to officials, the Carbon Asset Inventory reviewed PEDO’s hydropower and solar projects using top international carbon standards — Verra, Gold Standard, and Global Carbon Council (GCC). The results show that 8 projects qualify for Verra, 13 for Gold Standard, and 37 for GCC, while the full portfolio is eligible for I-RECs.
These projects together could help reduce 5.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year and generate up to 11.9 million I-RECs, which could be sold to earn revenue through global carbon markets. As part of the initiative, PEDO has also signed up with Evident, the international I-REC registry, and will register five projects in the first phase.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Energy and Power, Tariq Mehmood Sadozai, also spoke at the event and explained key features of the new initiative.
