Abstract/Description
A sustainable future is intricately tied to maintaining a sustainable environment, both on a global scale and within individual countries. In 2023, recorded temperatures reached unprecedented highs, signaling a concerning trend toward global warming and prompting widespread alarm. These circumstances have spurred increased global attention and a shift away from intensive emission practices towards more environmentally friendly approaches. This research provides empirical evidence on the monetary value of lost environmental benefits due to the production of massive ballot papers for the elections. Focusing on the environmental impact of the 2024 General Election, the study also considers the environmental implications beyond ballot paper production, including the use of campaign materials. The research showed that the environmental impact of traditional electoral procedure has escalated significantly in Pakistan. Compared to 2018, the 2024 election saw an increase in ballots, requiring a lot more tons of paper. Consequently, tree loss soared from 19,200 to 52,080. If felled trees weren't mature, demand would be even greater, signaling a greater depletion of forests. Following the Das tree valuation formula, the benefits of a mature tree covering oxygen provision, soil erosion reduction, pollution mitigation, and habitat for animals. The lost trees for ballot paper production would equate to approximately PKR 2.8 trillion (USD 10 billion), around 3.32% of annual GDP. Considering campaign materials' environmental impact, akin to ballot paper, this figure would rise to about 6.64% of annual GDP.
Keywords
Sustainable Environment, Traditional Elections, Lost Trees, Environmental Impact
Location
S1 room, Adamjee building
Session Theme
Environment, Energy, and Growth Nexus
Session Type
Parallel Technical Session
Session Chair
Heman Das Lohano, Institute of Business Administration
Session Discussant
Sahar Mahmood, Institute of Business Administration ; Junaid Memon, Institute of Business Administration
Start Date
9-12-2024 2:30 PM
End Date
9-12-2024 4:30 PM
Recommended Citation
Ali, M. (2024). Environmental Concerns: Thinking Beyond the Traditional Elections. CBER Conference. Retrieved from https://ir.iba.edu.pk/esdcber/2024/program/10
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Included in
Natural Resource Economics Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Sustainability Commons
Environmental Concerns: Thinking Beyond the Traditional Elections
S1 room, Adamjee building
A sustainable future is intricately tied to maintaining a sustainable environment, both on a global scale and within individual countries. In 2023, recorded temperatures reached unprecedented highs, signaling a concerning trend toward global warming and prompting widespread alarm. These circumstances have spurred increased global attention and a shift away from intensive emission practices towards more environmentally friendly approaches. This research provides empirical evidence on the monetary value of lost environmental benefits due to the production of massive ballot papers for the elections. Focusing on the environmental impact of the 2024 General Election, the study also considers the environmental implications beyond ballot paper production, including the use of campaign materials. The research showed that the environmental impact of traditional electoral procedure has escalated significantly in Pakistan. Compared to 2018, the 2024 election saw an increase in ballots, requiring a lot more tons of paper. Consequently, tree loss soared from 19,200 to 52,080. If felled trees weren't mature, demand would be even greater, signaling a greater depletion of forests. Following the Das tree valuation formula, the benefits of a mature tree covering oxygen provision, soil erosion reduction, pollution mitigation, and habitat for animals. The lost trees for ballot paper production would equate to approximately PKR 2.8 trillion (USD 10 billion), around 3.32% of annual GDP. Considering campaign materials' environmental impact, akin to ballot paper, this figure would rise to about 6.64% of annual GDP.