{
  "id": 18216245,
  "title": "SDPI’s conference: pace of solar adoption brings questions into sharper focus",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/sdpis-conference-pace-of-solar-adoption-brings-questions-into-sharper",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-05T00:31:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40447463/sdpis-conference-pace-of-solar-adoption-brings-questions-into-sharper-focus"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Islamabad recently hosted the 29th Sustainable Development Conference organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), with the theme \"Rethinking Development in an Age of Disruption.\" The event brought together government officials, energy specialists, and industry representatives to discuss the implications of Pakistan's rapid expansion of solar energy. While the government aims to increase renewable generation and limit new fossil fuel-based power projects, participants highlighted inconsistencies in policies, inadequate infrastructure, and weak coordination between federal and provincial authorities as significant impediments to long-term investment.\n\nApproximately 7,000 megawatts of solar capacity were added over the past five years, primarily through private investments, while 11,000 megawatts of hydropower are planned over the next decade. The government also plans to achieve a 30% share of electric vehicles in new vehicle sales by 2030. However, the pace of solar adoption has raised concerns regarding electricity storage, grid capacity, and reliable industrial supply. Experts pointed out that policy coherence remains a challenge, particularly in areas where federal and provincial responsibilities intersect.\n\nFinancing emerged as a major constraint, with high initial costs and limited access to affordable capital discouraging industries from investing in cleaner technologies. Proposed solutions include public-private partnerships and financing mechanisms linked to energy savings. The discussion also highlighted the need for climate-risk assessments and facility-level greenhouse gas inventories to ensure that renewable energy projects can withstand weather-related disruptions. Experts cautioned against assuming that agricultural residues would be readily available for biomass energy, as they are already consumed by farmers for livestock feed.\n\nThe competing demand for agricultural resources was discussed, particularly concerning biomass supply chains. Haseeb Malik, Senior Director of Supply Chain at PepsiCo Pakistan, emphasized the need for structured supply arrangements to prevent low returns for farmers while industries face higher fuel costs. Mozaharul Alam from the United Nations Environment Programme's Asia-Pacific office questioned the long-term effectiveness of businesses merely shifting their sourcing locations in response to climate risks, advocating for the strengthening of existing supply chains instead.\n\nTobias Klaus, a Senior Researcher at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology, warned that rural mini-grids could become unsustainable without community participation, local technical expertise, and reliable maintenance systems. He suggested pumped-storage hydropower as a potential long-term storage solution. SDPI's Zainab Naeem moderated the discussion, highlighting the reluctance of private companies to share emissions data and questioning the continued reliance on international consultants when domestic institutions possess relevant technical expertise.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s rapid expansion of solar energy has yet to be matched by the regulatory stability, affordable financing and infrastructure needed to sustain the shift away from fossil fuels, raising concerns over its implications for industrial competitiveness and energy security. The challenges came under discussion at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute’s (SDPI) 29th Sustainable…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}