ISLAMABAD, Oct 03 (APP):The Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department (EP&CCD) has proposed a $15 million green finance and entrepreneurship project to support more than 800 women-led startups, train 3,200 women and create over 12,000 green jobs under the World Bank,Country Partnership Framework for Pakistan (FY2026-FY2035).
According to documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the proposed Gender-Responsive Climate Finance and Entrepreneurship Hub will provide women entrepreneurs with access to seed capital, green grants, business incubation, climate-resilient business models and sustainable supply-chain training.
The project envisages establishing a Provincial Women’s Green Equity Fund, four Regional Green Incubation Centres and a Punjab Green Marketplace to strengthen women’s participation in climate-related businesses.
It also aims to generate an estimated annual reduction of 150,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) and facilitate women led enterprises in accessing carbon markets.
The proposed initiative will target more than 3,200 beneficiaries through financial assistance, entrepreneurship training, incubation and market linkages, with a focus on businesses contributing to the green economy.
The EP&CCD has been identified as the lead entity, while the Women Development Department, Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and UN Women are proposed as supporting partners.
The project also proposes a digital monitoring and evaluation dashboard using gender disaggregated data and verified emission reductions to track its progress and climate impact.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
