LAHORE: A two-day international conference titled `Energy for Environmental and Economic Sustainability` began on Friday at the University of Management and Technology (UMT), in collaborationwiththeTexasTechUniversity, the National Science Foundation and International Association for Hydrogen Energy of the USA.

Scholars, scientists, industrialists and analysts from China, Japan, the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, Finland, Slovenia, Romania,Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey, Libya, Algeria and Iran shared new ideas and latest research on various forms of energy.

Punjab Minister for Mines and Minerals Sher Ali Khan said that developing countries, including Pakistan, were suffering the worst electricity shortage.

`Keeping in view this, the government is trying its best to fulfill energy needs of the country. The launch of the world largest solar power project of 1000MW in Bahawalpur is one of the several initiatives, which will be commis-sioned by the end of this year,` he added. Out of that project the first 100MW facilities were already commissioned in May last,` he said.

The speakers said that dire need for energy was being felt globally all due to emerging technology, industrialization of the developing countries, social development and population growth. Both the developed and developing countries were now in need of alternative sources of energy. They said fossil fuels were impacting the environment, causing air and water pollution and damaging human healthand wildlife.

`By 2030, the world will need to produce more than 21 per cent energy. All energy resources could stop functioning but the sun as neverending and great source of energy would always be there to cater to human beings` needs,` said UMT Rector Dr Hasan Sohalb Murad.

Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman Prof Dr Nizamuddin said climate changes had been affecting human health conditions since the industrial revolution and its solution lied in nonpolluted and clean energy like solar and wind energy.