ISLAMABAD: Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan on Tuesday described the IslamabadRawalpindi Metro Bus Service as an environmentallyfriendly project.

`The buses are fitted with energy ef ficient Euro II engines which reduce the consumption of fossil fuels,` the minister said while launching the World Wide Views on Climate and Energy debate which was hosted by Comsats University.

The day-long meeting was attended by dozens of citizens and academics who deliberated upon some of the important environmental issues facing the world today such as climate and energy. The debate was simultaneously held in 80 countries around the world with an aim to allow concerned citizens to make their voices heard at international climate change negotiations in Paris this December.

The Euro II is an emissions standard which requires manufacturers to reduce the existing polluting emission levels in a more efficient manner by making certain technical changes in vehicles. Car manufacturers in Pakistan have introduced various models of cars which comply with the Euro II and Euro IV s tandards.

However, the fuel these vehicles run on is still not of European standards, which defeats the purpose of minimising poisonous emissions into the atmosphere.

Nonetheless, taking credit for the PML-N government`s launch of the twin cities metro bus on World Environment Day, Mushahidullah Khan said that the service would reduce the numbers of cars on the road cutting vehicular emissions.

Pointing out that the National Climate Change Policy was finally going to be implemented and that in the 2015-16 budget, the government had announced interest free loans for solar tubewells, zero import duty on solar and wind power generation equipment and five years tax holiday and zero sales tax on local manufacture of solar, wind power equipment.

Among other speakers at the debate, the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Executive Director Dr Abid Q. Suleri welcomed the guests and citizens and described the purpose of the debate as an opportunity to learn from stakeholders.

The founder of SDPI, Tariq Banuri, gave a brief history of environmental degradation and described how human beings have destroyed ecosystems and more than 50 per cent of the world`s forests have disappeared. He said the crisis was endangering the entire planet.

`The result of climate change is that more cyclones are developing in the Arabian Sea and the intensity of floods in Pakistan has increased. Dengue Fever is spreading because of rising temperatures, glaciers are melting and monsoons have become erratic. We must switch to renewable energy to prevent destruction from fossil fuels,` he told the audience.

The inaugural session was followed by debate among the audience which mainly consisted of young people.

The World Wide Views on Climate and Energy turned out to be the largest global citizen consultation held on climate change. Beginning at dawn in Fiji and ending at dusk in Arizona, at least 100 citizens at each location discussed issues of climate change and voted on an identical set of questions.

The results from this voting were published immediately on the internet making it possible for everyone to follow live the statements of citizens about challenges confronting policy makers at COP 21, the Paris conference on climate change and to compare the views of citizens in different countries.

The simultaneous meetings around the world focused on thematic sessions such as importance of tackling climate change, UN negotiations, national commitments, distribution of efforts and making and keeping climate promises.