Carbon market policy
Led Pakistan’s Carbon Market Initiative as Additional Secretary, Climate Finance, including work on the national policy and the design of a dedicated Secretariat, MRV framework, registry concept, and draft rules.
Policy • Investment • Partnerships
Zulfiqar
Younas
Connecting climate ambition with finance, institutions, and investment.
Climate finance expert working across carbon markets, Article 6, national climate policy, investment pipelines, and international partnerships.
Explore my work ↗Professional profile
Country priorities.
International opportunity.
My work brings together public policy, financial strategy, and practical project development to help countries mobilize climate and carbon finance.
As Senior Advisor, Climate Finance at the CVF–V20 Secretariat, I support engagement across South & West Asia, climate prosperity investment pipelines, carbon market readiness, and international partnerships. I also serve as Director at Pak-Iran Investment Company, Islamabad.
I bring more than 30 years of experience across public policy, finance, governance reform, trade and investment, and diplomatic assignments, including over 15 years of work on climate finance, climate change and environmental issues in Pakistan and abroad.
Selected contributions
Building the foundations
for climate finance.
Article 6 integrity
Served as an Asia-Pacific member of the UNFCCC Article 6.4 Supervisory Body during 2024–2025, contributing to discussions on methodologies, additionality, baselines, leakage, and permanence.
Financial architecture
Supervised Pakistan’s Green Taxonomy with the State Bank of Pakistan and World Bank, launched in September 2025. Developed the draft National Climate Finance Strategy and worked on climate budget tagging, green bonds, green sukuk and sustainable finance frameworks.
Adaptation & resilience
Contributed to Pakistan’s National Adaptation Plan, climate authority operationalization, NDC development, and Global Shield engagement.
Access to climate funds
As Additional Secretary, Climate Finance, served as national focal point for the Green Climate Fund and Global Environment Facility, coordinating national engagement with international climate finance processes.
Private sector engagement
Developed executive learning and dialogue on carbon finance, helping business leaders connect climate action with project preparation and revenue opportunities.
Current work & priorities
Moving from readiness
to transactions.
Climate Prosperity Plans
Support project preparation, financing pathways, and investor engagement for country-led climate prosperity pipelines, including Pakistan.
China engagement
Advance dialogue with Chinese institutions and partners on climate finance, technology, and investment opportunities for vulnerable economies.
Gilgit-Baltistan
Develop the proposed Climate Finance Council and project preparation platform to support climate and carbon finance mobilization.
Carbon Finance for CEOs
Lead executive discussions and training with NUST IEDC, Nutshell Group, and CVF–V20 on translating climate action into business opportunity.
Carbon market partnerships
Develop opportunities for institutional collaboration, host-country readiness, and links between project developers and carbon finance partners.
Implementation & investment
Prioritize bankable project preparation, credible MRV, buyer engagement, and financing structures that connect national climate plans with delivery.
Speaking & convening
Ideas, dialogue,
and practical action.
Keynote addresses, guest lectures, panel contributions, and moderated conversations on climate finance, carbon markets, and resilient development.
Keynote speaker · 6 February 2025Climate finance for renewable energy
UNDP, MoCC&EC, Ministry of Energy and PPIB consultation, Islamabad. Addressed Pakistan’s climate challenges and access to international finance for renewable energy.
Event group photograph: UNDP. Event report
Keynote speaker · June 2025China & green development
Institute of Regional Studies dialogue on China’s role in advancing green development across the Global South. Discussed climate cooperation, clean technology and disaster risk finance.
Archival speaking photograph, credited by The News to spar6c.org; not a photograph of this specific dialogue. Event report
Opening remarks · 2 July 2025Waste management through carbon markets
UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre / SPAR6C webinar, “Advancing Waste Management through Carbon Markets in Pakistan.” Addressed private-sector capacity building, developing local expertise through training of trainers, and ensuring that carbon credit initiatives benefit local communities.
Photograph and event report: SPAR6C. Read the report ↗
Pre-arranged disaster finance
“The Next Disaster is Coming: The Role of Pre-arranged Financing and Opportunities for Reform,” Centre for Disaster Protection, World Bank–IMF Spring Meetings Civil Society Policy Forum, Washington DC.
Role documented in the official programme. Programme
CIFTIS, Beijing
CVF–V20 carbon finance session, “From Carbon Potential to Market Access,” Shougang Park. Convened international perspectives on carbon finance and market access.
Engagement details supplied by Zulfiqar Younas; moderation also referenced in public LinkedIn posts.
Carbon Finance for CEOs
NUST IEDC, Nutshell Group and CVF–V20 executive programme at Marriott Karachi. Led discussion on the business relevance of carbon markets and pathways from projects to revenue.
Engagement details supplied by Zulfiqar Younas.
Civil Services Academy
Climate finance lecture at the Civil Services Academy, Walton, Lahore, connecting policy, institutional capacity and implementation.
Engagement details supplied by Zulfiqar Younas.
Conference speaker · 2025Green Industrialization
Listed speaker on the Green Industrialization conference’s official speaker page, representing Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.
Speaker portrait: SPRC conference website. Speaker profile
Climate-Resilient Mental Health Systems
Pakistan Global Mental Health Summit 2026, Serena Hotel, Islamabad. Participation in the session on resilient mental health systems, bringing a climate vulnerability, finance and resilience perspective to the mental health agenda.
The official programme lists the “Launch of the Policy on Climate-Resilient Mental Health Systems” on 1 October, 12:40–1:15 PM.
Session participation supplied by Zulfiqar Younas; listed among the summit’s key participants. Photographs supplied by Zulfiqar Younas from the GIHD summit gallery. Select a photograph to view it full size. Gallery · Programme · Participants
Carbon markets & adaptation benefits
Bonn, Germany, alongside SB64. Roundtable on how carbon markets can deliver adaptation benefits for climate-vulnerable countries, jointly organized by CVF–V20, VCMI and GGGI.
Source: supplied updated CV.
Leveraging Carbon Market Access to Unlock New Revenue
Washington DC. Presented Pakistan’s approach to carbon markets at the VCMI–CVF–V20 event alongside IMF–World Bank meetings.
Source: supplied updated CV.
High-Altitude Assets
ICIMOD webinar: “Navigating Carbon Market for Green Startups—Learnings from Pakistan.”
Source: supplied updated CV.
Pakistan’s statecraft for civil servants
National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad. Talk for civil servants on Pakistan’s statecraft.
Source: supplied updated CV.
Carbon market governance & integrity
Transparency International conference, Islamabad: “Carbon Markets Readiness in Pakistan: Addressing Governance Gaps and Safeguarding Against Integrity Risks.”
Source: supplied updated CV.
Economic & fiscal planning for climate prosperity
High-level policy dialogue, “Rewiring Pakistan’s Economic and Fiscal Planning for Climate Prosperity,” at SDPI’s 28th Sustainable Development Conference, Islamabad.
Source: supplied updated CV.
Electric vehicle transition
2nd Electric Vehicle Conference, Lahore, organized by Climate Action Center.
Source: supplied updated CV.
Pakistan’s carbon policy
“CO2 Talks,” organized by PRGMEA and Government College University, Lahore.
Source: supplied updated CV.
Climate change & green sustainability
Pakistan Climate Change & Green Sustainability Conference, organized by NESPAK, Lahore.
Source: supplied updated CV.
3rd Pakistan Climate Conference
OICCI conference, Karachi.
Source: supplied updated CV.
United Nations dialogue
Moderated a session and presented on behalf of Pakistan at a United Nations conference on drugs and crime in Bangkok, Thailand.
Source: supplied updated CV.
Climate Finance for CEOs
CEO Club Summit, Serena Hotel: “Turning Climate Action into Revenue.” A planned high-level session connecting corporate leadership, financial institutions, regulators and climate finance partners.
Upcoming engagement; session details supplied by Zulfiqar Younas.
Engagements in focus
Partnerships in practice.
Career history
Public service, diplomacy,
and climate finance.
August 2025–present
Senior Advisor, Climate Finance · CVF–V20
Advise on Climate Prosperity Plans and carbon market development; consult with federal and provincial institutions; coordinate China engagement and support climate investment pipelines. Developed a US$6.4 billion pitch book for climate mitigation and adaptation projects in Pakistan.
March 2024–July 2025
Additional Secretary, Climate Finance · MoCC&EC
Led carbon market policy work, established the Climate Finance Wing, and designed the National Carbon Market Secretariat and Global Shield Implementation Unit. Worked on the Green Taxonomy, National Climate Finance Strategy, NDC 3.0 and adaptation policy implementation; coordinated GCF and GEF engagement.
June 2021–March 2024
Additional Finance Secretary / Special Assistant to the Finance Minister
Supported fiscal and monetary policy, federal budget preparation, IMF programme coordination and engagement with the World Bank and ADB. Worked on debt-for-nature swaps, climate budget tagging, green bonds, green sukuk and sustainable finance.
September 2017–May 2021
Director, Common Training Programme · Civil Services Academy
Designed the 46th, 47th and 48th Common Training Programmes, introduced digital learning and skills-based courses, and advanced research partnerships with LUMS, CERP and other institutions to strengthen evidence-informed public service training.
July 2014–September 2017
Collector / Director of Customs · Federal Board of Revenue
Served in customs leadership, training and research, and intelligence and investigation. Managed a workforce of more than 3,000 and advanced trade facilitation, automated systems, revenue administration and public service reforms.
November 2009–July 2014
Trade & Investment Counsellor · Embassy of Pakistan, Warsaw
Promoted exports and investment, supported Pakistan’s GSP+ engagement, organized Polish business delegations to Expo Pakistan in 2011–2013, and convened the Pakistan–Central Europe Economic Cooperation Forum in May 2014.
July 2008–October 2009
Trade & Investment Counsellor · High Commission of Pakistan, Dhaka
Supported trade diplomacy and commercial partnerships. Organized Women Entrepreneurs Trade Expos, coordinated trade fair participation and advanced cultural and business engagement.
January 2004–June 2008
Deputy Programme Director · Punjab Resource Management Programme
Led public financial management, private-sector development and institutional reform work under the ADB-supported programme. Developed poverty-focused investment strategies and contributed to taxation, procurement, medium-term budget and pension reform discussions.
Leadership & recognition
Institutional leadership.
Measurable contributions.
Board governance
Chairman, Board of Directors, Pak-Iran Investment Company, September 2023–14 July 2025. Director of its Board since September 2023. Also served as a Board Director of the Export Processing Zones Authority.
Trade & investment
Contributed to Pakistan’s exports to Poland increasing from US$119 million in 2009 to US$267 million in 2014—approximately 124%, as reported in the supplied CV citing Poland’s Ministry of Economy.
Honours & awards
Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for Public Service, 2023; Prime Minister’s Special Award for integrity and efficiency, May 2024; British Chevening Award, 2001–2002.
Education & professional development
Engineering, economics,
and public policy.
Academic qualifications
MSc Business & IT, Aston Business School, 2001–2002.
BE Civil Engineering, UET Lahore, 1988–1993.
BA Journalism, University of the Punjab, 1990–1991.
Economics doctoral studies, Warsaw School of Economics: three years of coursework completed; dissertation pending. Degree not yet awarded.
Senior leadership training
107th National Management Course, 2017–2018; 16th Senior Management Course, 2014; Common Training Programme, 1993–1994.
International capacity building
Training in public-sector reforms through the Commonwealth Secretariat in New Zealand; public procurement in Singapore; microfinance through ADB Institute; customs and immigration practices in the United States.
Research & policy contributions
Evidence that informs
institutions and investment.
Climate policy & finance
Contributions to carbon market policy and draft rules, the National Climate Finance Strategy, Green Taxonomy, Global Shield Request for Support, climate budget tagging and COP29 reporting.
Public finance & governance
Contributions to the Economic Survey, budget documents and speeches, Monthly Economic Updates, Punjab public financial management reforms and poverty-focused sector investment strategies.
Training, trade & competitiveness
Research on civil service training design and effectiveness, Pakistan’s balance of payments, automotive sector competitiveness, GSP+ prospects, and trade opportunities in Poland and Bangladesh.
These include contributions to official documents and institutional research, rather than a claim of sole authorship.
Biography for reuse
LinkedIn-ready introduction.
I work at the intersection of climate policy, finance, and investment, with a focus on carbon markets, Article 6, climate prosperity pipelines, and international partnerships. As Senior Advisor, Climate Finance at the CVF–V20 Secretariat, I support country-led efforts to turn climate ambition into investable projects across South & West Asia. My public service experience includes leadership roles in Pakistan’s climate and finance ministries, contributions to national carbon market policy and green finance frameworks, and service on the UNFCCC Article 6.4 Supervisory Body during 2024–2025. My priority is to connect credible policy and institutional readiness with practical financing solutions that deliver resilience, sustainable growth, and measurable climate outcomes.
External profiles
International Growth Centre.
The International Growth Centre maintains a profile of Zulfiqar Younas, listing his role as Additional Secretary, Climate Finance, Ministry of Climate Change, Government of Pakistan.
This external profile reflects a previous government role.
View IGC profile ↗Connect
Let’s advance climate
finance together.
For policy dialogue, project development, executive education, and international partnerships.