Climate investment
Country-led prosperity plans, project preparation and financing pathways for mitigation and adaptation.
Investment agenda ↗Climate finance / Public policy / International partnerships
Zulfiqar
Younas
Senior Climate Finance Advisor &
International Public Policy Expert
Bridging national ambition and private capital: advancing carbon market mechanisms, sovereign climate investment pipelines, and Article 6 cooperation across South & West Asia.
Current leadershipSenior Advisor, Climate Finance · CVF–V20
US$6.4BClimate prosperity project pitch book prepared
UNFCCC Article 6.4Supervisory Body · Asia-Pacific, 2024–2025
30+ yearsPublic governance, finance & trade diplomacy
GCF & GEFFormer national focal point
The work
Turning country priorities
into investment opportunity.
Carbon markets
Article 6 readiness, institutional frameworks, credible methodologies and links between project developers and markets.
Policy & markets ↗Public leadership
Public finance, governance reform and diplomacy that connect institutions with practical implementation.
Leadership record ↗Selected engagements
Dialogue with a delivery focus.
Carbon markets & adaptation
Opening remarks at the CVF–V20, VCMI and GGGI roundtable alongside SB64.
From potential to market access
Moderated international perspectives on carbon finance and market access.
Climate-resilient systems
Contributed a climate vulnerability and finance perspective to the resilience agenda.
Climate finance & carbon markets
From policy architecture
to investable pipelines.
Connecting national ambition, market integrity and international capital.
Selected contributions
Building the foundations
for climate finance.
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.
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.
Engagements in focus
Partnerships in practice.
Pakistan climate prosperity
US$6.4 billion
project pitch book.
Developed to connect mitigation and adaptation priorities with financing partners. The pitch book represents projects prepared for engagement; it is not a statement of capital raised or committed.
Discuss project financing ↗Public leadership & diplomacy
Institutions, finance,
and international cooperation.
Leadership & recognition
Institutional leadership.
Measurable contributions.
Board governance
Chairman, Board of Directors, Pak-Iran Investment Company, September 2023–14 July 2025. 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.
Current climate leadership & recent public finance roles
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.
Prior Public Service & Diplomacy · 2004–2021
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.
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.
Thought leadership & speaking
Conversations that connect
evidence, policy and action.
Selected global fora, policy dialogues, and executive and academic convenings.
Panelist · 7 October 2026 · OnlineCOP31: Climate Finance, Carbon Markets and Pakistan’s Leadership
Transparency International Pakistan webinar on climate finance, carbon markets, Article 6 and Pakistan’s leadership ahead of COP31. Participated alongside Fawad Hayat, Sindi Kuci, Bulent Sohail and Hamza Butt, with Raima Mehmood as moderator.
7 October 2026 · 2:00–3:00 PM Pakistan time.
View session screenshot
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.
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.
CIFTIS, Beijing
CVF–V20 carbon finance session, “From Carbon Potential to Market Access,” Shougang Park. Convened international perspectives on carbon finance and market access.
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.
Civil Services Academy
Climate finance lecture at the Civil Services Academy, Walton, Lahore, connecting policy, institutional capacity and implementation.
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.
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.
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.
High-Altitude Assets
ICIMOD webinar: “Navigating Carbon Market for Green Startups—Learnings from Pakistan.”
Carbon market governance & integrity
Transparency International conference, Islamabad: “Carbon Markets Readiness in Pakistan: Addressing Governance Gaps and Safeguarding Against Integrity Risks.”
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.
Electric vehicle transition
2nd Electric Vehicle Conference, Lahore, organized by Climate Action Center.
Pakistan’s carbon policy
“CO2 Talks,” organized by PRGMEA and Government College University, Lahore.
Climate change & green sustainability
Pakistan Climate Change & Green Sustainability Conference, organized by NESPAK, Lahore.
3rd Pakistan Climate Conference
OICCI conference, Karachi.
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.
Media & event kit
Ready for your programme,
publication or introduction.
Executive summary / 100 words
Zulfiqar Younas is a Senior Climate Finance Advisor and international public policy expert with more than three decades of experience in public finance, governance, trade diplomacy and climate policy. As Senior Advisor, Climate Finance at CVF–V20, he supports Climate Prosperity Plans, carbon market readiness and international partnerships across South & West Asia. He previously led Pakistan’s carbon market policy work and contributed to green finance frameworks as Additional Secretary, Climate Finance. His experience includes service on the UNFCCC Article 6.4 Supervisory Body and board leadership at Pak-Iran Investment Company. His focus is connecting country priorities with credible, investable climate solutions.
Full biography
Zulfiqar Younas works at the intersection of climate policy, public finance and investment. His career spans more than 30 years in public service, diplomacy, institutional reform and cooperation, with over 15 years of work on climate finance and environmental issues.
As Senior Advisor, Climate Finance at the CVF–V20 Secretariat, he supports Climate Prosperity Plans, carbon market development and international partnerships across South & West Asia. His work includes Pakistan’s climate investment pipeline, a US$6.4 billion project pitch book, China engagement and institutional readiness for carbon finance.
Previously, as Additional Secretary, Climate Finance at Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, he led carbon market policy work, supervised Green Taxonomy development with the State Bank of Pakistan and World Bank, and contributed to the National Climate Finance Strategy, climate budget tagging and Global Shield engagement. He also served as national focal point for GCF and GEF and as an Asia-Pacific member of the UNFCCC Article 6.4 Supervisory Body during 2024–2025.
His earlier assignments include Additional Finance Secretary and Special Assistant to the Finance Minister, Director of the Common Training Programme at the Civil Services Academy, and Trade and Investment Counsellor in Warsaw and Dhaka. He chaired the Board of Pak-Iran Investment Company from September 2023 to July 2025.
A recipient of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, the Prime Minister’s Special Award and a British Chevening Award, he combines policy leadership with experience in institutions, markets and executive education. His priority is translating climate ambition into financing pathways and development outcomes.
Original 1600 × 1066 photograph from the Pakistan Global Mental Health Summit.
Contact / Advisory inquiries
Let’s turn climate priorities
into practical opportunities.
Policy, investment & partnerships
For climate finance dialogue, carbon market readiness, project preparation, international partnerships and executive education.
zyounas@gmail.com
zy@cvfv20.org
Islamabad, Pakistan
International Growth Centre profile ↗