PM appoints Hamza Farrukh climate authority chairperson

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Hamza Farrukh, a climate-technology entrepreneur and founder of Hydrosun Technologies, as chairperson of the Pakistan Climate Change Authority (PCCA). The appointment is for a two-year term on a contract basis and takes effect immediately, according to an Establishment Division notification.

Geo News reported that the notification was issued on Tuesday. Minute Mirror also carried the announcement. Both outlets said the appointment has been made on a contract basis and will remain in place until further orders. The notification states that Farrukh will draw a monthly salary and other benefits equivalent to the maximum package under Special Professional Pay Scale-I, which is commonly abbreviated as SPPS-I. The notification did not give a specific end date beyond the two-year term, saying only that the appointment will remain in force until further orders.

Farrukh founded Hydrosun Technologies, a company active in the climate-technology sector. Before founding the company, he worked as a vice president at Goldman Sachs in London from 2016 to 2023. He earned a master's degree from Stanford University's Doerr School of Sustainability, which focuses on climate and environmental studies. He also holds a master's degree from Stanford's Graduate School of Business, and a bachelor's degree in economics and political science from Williams College.

The two-year term is described in the notification as a contract engagement, meaning Farrukh will not be a regular civil servant. His salary and benefits are pegged to the maximum of SPPS-I, a scale used for senior contract professionals. The notification did not state who previously held the post.

Minute Mirror noted that the appointment comes as Pakistan continues to focus on climate resilience, environmental challenges and the development of policies aimed at addressing the impacts of climate change. Neither report named the previous PCCA chairperson or set out the new chairperson's immediate priorities. Both Minute Mirror and Geo News carried the Establishment Division notification, and the details in this report are drawn from their coverage.