An oil tanker docked in Karachi
Letter from Pakistan: More oil and gas needed, not less
Countries such as Pakistan will require fossil fuels for a long time to come, requiring a reframing of the narrative around the energy transition
Immediately ending all fossil fuel consumption is often argued as a way to solve the climate crisis. The IEA reached a similar conclusion in its Net Zero 2050 report in 2021. But the idea fails to take into account the political economy of the energy transition. For countries such as Pakistan, where millions are still without access to electricity, stopping oil and gas consumption will result in slower economic progress and will deprive many of the better living standards that are their birthright. In short, Pakistan needs more oil and gas. There are multiple reasons for a country such as Pakistan to increase its oil and gas production. The country has used 17% of its oil and 6% of its gas
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