LAHORE - All Pakistan Textile Mills Association Punjab Chairman Akber Sheikh has said the efficient use of energy is need of the hour to fulfill the national as well as international requirements. He said the textile industry realized the importance of the elimination of the wasteful components in energy consumption well in time. He was talking to the participants of an awareness workshop organized by the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) in association with GTZ on Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) for textile mills on Wednesday at APTMA office. Chairman APTMA Punjab, who chaired the workshop, which was also addressed by the South Pole Corporation CDM experts, said that APTMA is pursuing its members actively on the concept of CDM, which is already in place both in China and India. APTMA is urging its members to adopt the CDM under their corporate social responsibility to reduce the emissions to ensure healthy clean green environment. The CDM experts made detailed presentations on CDM opportunities in textile industry in connection with energy efficiency and fuel switching projects. The CDM experts told the participants of the workshop that the industrialized countries can finance projects with the objective of reduction in green house gases under the CDM arrangement. CDM is an effective tool to improve energy efficiency in various industrial processes. The introduction of CDM facility in the industry of Pakistan would prove a positive step in meeting both the challenges of energy efficiency as well as control over climatic change, they added. Chairman APTMA Punjab Akber Sheikh said that conservation and efficient use of energy control contribute directly to the enhancement of competitiveness of Pakistani textile industry in the world market and would have salutary effect on the national energy map. In order to achieve the target of energy saving, said Akber Sheikh, APTMA has started various initiatives under public / private partnerships. Energy Conservation Cell has been established in APTMA to undertake activities concerning awareness, capacity building and outreach in the larger industry and national interests, he said, adding: this cell will further include environment issues in its ambit from now onward to develop the ideas for reduction in carbon emissions for its members in first place and finally helping the members in claiming corresponding carbon credits internationally. According to him, the cell has set long term objectives for which various project assignments including the assignment of sustainable EnMS, energy audits, awareness programme related to the introduction of CDM, capacity building of industries on energy conservation measures and industry academia linkages. He said APTMA had initiated the EnMS Programme in collaboration with GTZ and SMEDA. More than 40 applications from members all over Pakistan have been received. He also mentioned that the Sustainable Energy management system Programme will take start on 1st June to be completed by end December. Local and international experts will impart exclusive training to Energy Managers.