Pakistan’s Quiet Success Story |
For decades, Pakistan treated energy efficiency and conservation as peripheral concerns-desirable, but never urgent. Power shortages, circular debt, and rising fuel import bills dominated the debate, while the cheapest “fuel” of all-saved energy-remained largely ignored. Between 2020 and 2025, that mindset began to shift. Slowly at first, and then decisively, the country recognised energy efficiency not as an environmental luxury but as an economic and national security imperative. Without effective demand-side management, peak energy demand would continue to rise unchecked, putting additional strain on the system.
The period after 2020 marked the formative years of establishing an institution. Although the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act (NEEC Act) was passed in 2016, progress prior to 2020 had been dormant. Pakistan laid the foundations for operational reform: a dedicated budget was allocated, human resource regulations were formulated, and internal staffing for the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA) was established. Early interventions, including the UNEP-supported energy-efficient lighting project, helped........