Pakistan

Population: 17.3 million+
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions (mio. tonnes): 125.67
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions per capita (tonnes/person): 0.81
Environment issues: Water pollution, shortage of potable water, deforestation and soil erosions.
Oil consumption: 345,000 bbl/day
Natural gas consumption: 30.8 billion cu m
Electricity consumption: 68.4 billion kWh
Electricity production: 93.26 billion kWh
Electricity production by source:

Fossil fuel: 68.8%
Hydro: 28.2%
Nuclear: 3%

Pakistan’s Green Initiatives:
• Islamabad’s green city action plan provides for energy conservation strategies, solid waste reduction and management, water conservation and quality management, wastewater management and urban design.
• It also provides for air quality management, seasonal fumigation, maintenance of parks and gardens, enhancement of tree plantation and grass cover, launching of public awareness campaigns, introduction of environmentally friendly transport and the introduction of green journalist awards.

China

Population: 1.33 billion+
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions (mio. tonnes): 5010.17
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions per capita(tonnes/person): 3.84
Environment issues: Air pollution, acid rain, water shortages particularly in North China, water pollution from untreated sewage, deforestation, soil erosion and trading in endangered species.
Oil consumption: 7.88 million bbl/day
Natural gas consumption: 70.51 billion cu m
Electricity consumption: 3.271 trillion kWh
Electricity production: 3.256 trillion kWh
Electricity production by source:

Fossil fuel: 80.2%
Hydro: 18.5%
Nuclear: 1.2%
Other: 0.1% (2001)

China’s Green Initiatives:
• Since June 2008, China’s government banned free plastic shopping bags, along with the manufacturing and sale of the thin plastic bags (0.025mm thick). Noncompliant companies will be fined.
• The Chinese government is planning on climate change programs for each province, increasing research and development on technologies for slowing down and responding to climate change.
• China ensures that plans to treat two-thirds of urban sewage will be completed by year end.
• China offers higher tariffs to power plants that clean the gas from their emission. This is a new scheme to motivate companies that turn off these power plant equipments to avoid extra overheads.

Japan

Population: 12.7 million+
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions (mio. tonnes): 1285.81
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions per capita (tonnes/person): 10.10
Environment issues: Acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrades water quality and threaten aquatic life, air pollution from power plants results in acid rain. Being one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, Japan contributes to the depletion of these resources.
Oil consumption: 5.007 million bbl/day
Natural gas consumption: 100.3 billion cu m
Electricity consumption: 1.08 trillion kWh
Electricity production: 1.195 trillion kWh
Electricity production by source:

Fossil fuel: 60%
Hydro: 8.4%
Nuclear: 29.8%
Other: 1.8% (2001)

Japan’s Green Initiatives:
• The Government of Japan is leading a national campaign “Team Minus 6%”, to encourage concrete actions such as changes in lifestyles to stop global warming.
• With a view to contributing to the establishment of Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), the Government of Japan will promote creation of an integrated observation network, employing satellite, oceanic and land observation systems, particularly in Asia Pacific.
• To respond to the large-scale oil spills in Japan, its coast guard carries out regular surveillance for illegal dumping or discharging from ships.
• Japan has a loan program since April 2005 that facilitates the leasing of energy-efficient home appliances, water heaters and automobiles to households. This will hopefully create a system promoting the adaptation of a new lifestyle; reducing the environmental impact of society as a whole.

Thailand

Population: 65.5 million+
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions (mio. tonnes): 268.08
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions per capita(tonnes/person): 4.28
Environment issues: Air pollution from vehicle emission, water pollution from industrial wastes, deforestation, soil erosion and wildlife population threatened by illegal hunting.
Oil consumption: 928,600 bbl/day
Natural gas consumption: 35.3 billion cu m
Electricity consumption: 138.6 billion kWh
Electricity production: 148.4 billion kWh
Electricity production by source:

Fossil fuel: 91.44%
Hydro: 8.56%
Nuclear: 0%
Other: 0%

Thailand’s Green Initiatives:
• The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) have both urged travel and tourism-related trade associations and individual operators in the hospitality and travel and tourism-related industries to adopt a pro-active stance in their efforts to reduce global warming.
• Thailand also introduces practices that will effectively reduce the impact of irresponsible tourism. For example, container deposit policy–stipulates that a deposit on carbonated, water or alcoholic beverage containers is to be collected when the beverage is sold. When the container is returned to an authorised redemption centre, or the original seller, the deposit is partially or completely refunded to the consumer.
• Thailand now actively promotes the use of environmentally friendly biodegradable food packaging and containers made from bagasse pulp (an agricultural waste left behind after the raw sugarcane has been processed), or from tapioca pulp.

India

Population: 1.15 billion+
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions (mio. tonnes): 1342.96
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions per capita (tonnes/person): 1.20
Environment issues: Deforestation, soil erosion, air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions, water pollution from untreated sewage, shortages of potable water and huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources.
Oil consumption: 2.722 million bbl/day
Natural gas consumption: 41.7 billion cu m
Electricity consumption: 517.2 billion kWh
Electricity production by source:

Fossil fuel: 83%
Hydro: 14%
Nuclear: 3%
Other: 0%

India's Green Initiatives:
• In 2008, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released India’s first National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) outlining existing and future policies and programmes addressing climate mitigation and adaptation.
• India is mandating lowering specific energy consumption in large energy-consuming industries, with a system for companies to trade energy-savings certificates. This includes reduced taxes on energy efficient appliances.
• India is strengthening the enforcement of automotive fuel economy standards to allow more purchase of energy efficient vehicles.
• India’s national mission for a “Green India” include the afforestation of six million hectares of degraded forest lands and expanding forest cover from 23% to 33% of India’s territory.
• India’s largest tire company, MRF, launched a new tubeless, eco-friendly rubber tire that reduces rolling resistance and results in lower fuel consumption.

Singapore

Population: 4.6 million+
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions (mio. tonnes): 52.25
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions per capita (tonnes/person): 12.23
Environment issues: Industrial pollution, limited natural fresh water resources and seasonal haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia.
Oil consumption: 916,000 bbl/day
Natural gas consumption: 6.6 billion cu m
Electricity consumption: 37.42 billion kWh
Electricity production: 41.14 billion kWh
Electricity – production by source:

Fossil fuel: 100%

Singapore’s Green Initiatives:
• 76% of Singapore’s electricity is now generated by natural gas-fired combined cycle generation technology, the most energy efficient technology currently available.
• Traffic congestion results in wastage of fuel and air pollution. LTA will continue to manage road congestion through infrastructure development and refinement of car ownership and usage restraint measures such as the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system.
• In 2006, the S$20m Green Mark Incentive Scheme was launched to encourage building developers to achieve higher Green Mark ratings, which will result in more energy efficient buildings. New and retrofitted buildings with GFA above 5000m2 that has achieved the “Gold” Green Mark will be awarded cash incentives.
• Singapore has an ongoing “Less Plastic bag campaign” where reusable bags are made available for sale at low cost by supermarket retailers, while in other retail outlets, shoppers have to pay for each single use of plastic bags.

Indonesia

Population: 23.8 million+
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions (mio. tonnes): 3.014
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions per capita(tonnes/person): 1.69
Environment issues: Deforestation, water pollution from industrial and municipal waste, air pollution in urban cities and frequent haze from forest fires.
Oil consumption: 1.219 million bbl/day
Natural gas consumption: 23.4 billion cu m
Electricity consumption: 110.7 billion kWh
Electricity production: 125.7 billion kWh
Electricity production by source:

Fossil fuel: 86.9%
Hydro: 10.5%
Other: 2.6% (2001)

Indonesia’s Green Initiatives:
• Indosat Mega Media (IndosatM2), Indonesia’s leading internet services and multimedia provider launched the ’Let’s Go Green’ programme This e-billing services has the potential of reducing paper consumption, which is at 400 reams per month.
• Garuda Indonesia and WWF-Indonesia implemented a joint programme to increase public awareness about environmental preservation and will see the reforestation of Central Kalimantan, a 250-hectare areas comprising Hulu Sungai Sebangau and Palangkaraya.
• Coca-Cola Foundation Indonesia, together with KEHATI foundation, has developed the Go Green School (GGS) programme where school receive grants and one-year technical assistance to implement their own proposed environmental activities. This includes composting, building greenhouses, waste handling, paper recycling, tree planting, to movie making and a journalistic writing course.

South Korea

Population: 48.4 million+
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions (mio. tonnes): 465.64
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions per capita(tonnes/person): 9.77
Environment issues: Air pollution in mega cities, acid rain, water pollution from untreated industrial andmunicipal waste and drift net fishing.
Oil consumption: 2.08 million bbl/day
Natural gas consumption: 37 billion cu m
Electricity consumption: 385.1 billion kWh
Electricity production: 440 billion kWh
Electricity – production by source:

Fossil fuel: 62.4%
Hydro: 0.8%
Nuclear: 36.6%
Other: 0.2% (2001)

South Korea’s Green Initiatives:
• The South Korean government will be spending 50 trillion won (US$38 billion) over the next four years in a “Green New Deal” to spur economic growth and create more than 956,000 jobs. Projects include recycling, carbon reduction, energy conservation, flood prevention, river management and maintaining forest resources to be pursued under the plan, endorsed by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.
• The South Korean government has allocated 18.3 trillion won (~US$14.2 billion) for an energy efficiency initiative that will run until 2012 and save 34.2 million tonnes of oil equivalent.
• The government will provide incentives for companies that invest in energy efficiency and by 2013, incandescent lamps will be phased out.
• South Korea will stimulate domestic demand for wind power, tidal power and biofuels. This also adds to an increasing enforcement of the use of renewable energy in public buildings.

Kazakhstan

Population: 1.5 million+
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions (mio. tonnes): 200.28
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions per capita(tonnes/person): 13.26
Environment issues:Radioactive or chemical sites due to former defence industries scattered through the country pose health risk for humans and animals. The two main rivers that flow into the Aral Sea are polluted causing it to dry up and leave behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural salts. In addition, soil pollution and poor infrastructure has led to wasteful irrigationpractices.
Oil consumption: 243,100 bbl/day
Natural gas consumption: 30.58 billion cu m
Electricity consumption: 61.81 billion kWh
Electricity production: 74.93 billion kWh
Electricity production by source:

Fossil fuel: 84.3%
Hydro: 15.7%

Kazakhstan’s Green Initiatives:
• The Ministry of Environment of Kazakhstan is interested in the effective implementation of the Kyoto protocol, a treaty intended to achieve “stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.” However, the issues of adaptation to the climate change are very much problematic for all the sectors of economy, since Kazakhstan is located in the arid region with the deficit of water resources.
• The UNDP supported a seminar in Astana Kazakhstan last year on the topic of strategic of effective energy use and renewables. The strategy progress will be reflected in the National report on the sustainable development of the energy sector of Kazakhstan, which will be published this year. The publication will help to promote the active discussion on the problems of rational use of renewables and energy sources within Kazakh society.

Iran

Population: 65,875,224
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions (mio. tonnes): 433.57
Amount of carbon dioxide emissions per capita(tonnes/person): 6.31
Environment issues: Air pollution from vehicle emissions, deforestations, oil pollution in the Persian Gulf, drought, shortage of potable water and water pollution from industrial and municipal wastes.
Oil consumption: 1.6 million bbl/day
Natural gas consumption: 111.8 billion cu m
Electricity consumption: 145 billion kWh
Electricity production: 193 billion kWh
Electricity production by source:

Fossil fuel: ??%
Hydro: ??%
Nuclear: ??%
Other: ??%

Iran’s Green Initiatives:
• Iran’s national protected area system provides the core areas for biodiversity conservation. This reserve system is not sufficient in itself for long-term conservation, and must be harmonised with conservation efforts in other areas and land-uses. In Iran, areas protected by the Department of Environment cover 8.2 million hectares (about 5% of the land area). The Department of Environment’s goal is to increase this proportion to 10% of the national land area. Limited tourism and research occurs in these areas.