The Strategic Case for US-Pakistan Climate Cooperation

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Energy cooperation with Pakistan would allow the United States to counter China’s influence and support climate resilience in South Asia.

For decades, the United States played a quiet but important role in building Pakistan’s energy infrastructure. American support contributed to major hydropower projects such as the Mangla and Tarbela dams and helped strengthen the country’s power transmission systems. Those efforts supported Pakistan’s early industrial development and shaped the structure of its electricity sector.

Today, the focus of cooperation is shifting. Climate change, rising energy demand, and technological advances in renewable power are pushing both countries toward a different model of energy partnership. Clean energy cooperation now offers Washington an opportunity not only to support Pakistan’s energy transition but also to strengthen its strategic presence in South Asia at a time when infrastructure investment has become an important arena of geopolitical competition.

The centrepiece of this emerging framework is the US–Pakistan Green Alliance. Launched in 2022, the initiative seeks to expand cooperation in renewable energy, climate resilience, and sustainable development. The partnership brings together government agencies, research institutions, and private-sector actors to promote renewable energy investment, strengthen electricity grids, and support climate adaptation efforts. In practice, the alliance focuses on technology transfer, research collaboration, and financing mechanisms that can accelerate Pakistan’s transition toward cleaner and more reliable energy systems.

Pakistan’s Energy Challenge

Pakistan’s electricity sector continues to face structural problems that constrain economic growth. Rapid urbanization and industrial expansion have increased demand for electricity, while outdated infrastructure and transmission losses have limited the system’s ability to meet that demand reliably.

Power shortages and high electricity costs have discouraged investment and slowed industrial activity. Businesses often rely on backup........

© The National Interest