A climate reckoning

IN 2024, Lahore once again found itself at the epicentre of Pakistan’s worsening air quality crisis, with November and December seeing the city’s air quality index frequently breaching hazardous levels. With an AQI of 1,067 recorded on Nov 3, Lahore registered the worst air quality in the world at the time, with PM2.5 concentrations far surpassing the World Health Organisation’s safe limits.

The choking smog brought life to a crawl. Reduced visibility forced routine closures of major roads and motorways...