Overview
- The Punjab government announced the expansion on Sunday, June 14, 2026, and said Pakistan’s first EPA-certified liquid tree will be moved from Faisalabad to Lahore with initial installations planned for major shopping malls and public spaces.
- A liquid tree is a microalgae-based bioreactor that absorbs carbon dioxide and can release oxygen, and officials say the EPA has collected more than 100 algae varieties from across Pakistan to identify the most effective strains for the system.
- The EPA has intensified regulatory action to complement the technology rollout, reporting recent demolition or sealing of polluting fat-melting units, a ban on thin plastic bags under 75 microns, and plans for green buffer zones around industrial areas.
- Officials cite provincial data showing an 8.7% drop in national particulate matter and a 33.2% fall in Punjab since 2025, and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz framed the programme as a scientific step to reduce carbon dioxide and smog.
- The certified unit includes an AI-based tool for real-time CO2 absorption readings, but independent, long-term evaluations of city-scale effectiveness and scalability have not been published, so observers should watch deployment results and official emissions monitoring.