Alternate Solutions Institute

Background

The Alternate Solutions Institute describes itself as the “first free market think tank of Pakistan,” and as a registered, non-profit, “non-political, non-governmental, educational and research organization.” It was established in April, 2003 in Lahore, Pakistan. [1]

The group states that its goal is “changing the climate of opinion in Pakistan so that there is an improved understanding of the benefits of limited government, rule of law, protection of property rights, market economy, individual freedom and private initiative.”  Its official mission is to “promote a limited responsible government in Pakistan under the rule of law protecting life, liberty, and property of all of its individual citizens without any discrimination.” [1], [2]

The Alternate Solutions Institute has been a regular sponsor of the Heartland Institute’s International Conference on Climate Change, an event that attracts climate change skeptics from across the country.

Stance on Climate Change

“The earth’s climate has always been susceptible to changes caused by natural factors over which human beings have no control. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change uses its monopoly power in the dissemination of its own politically edited version of climate science to advance the hypothesis that climate change is caused by fossil-fuel use.” [3]

Funding

The Alternate Solutions Institute does not publicly list their funding information. 

In 2008, the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, a group SourceWatch describes as the “Johnny Appleseed” of anti-regulation groups, gave the Alternate Solutions Institute a $100,000 grant that would be distributed over three years. The grant was part of the Atlas foundation’s Dorian and Anthony Fisher Venture grants program. [4], [5]

Key People

As of November, 2015 the following people were listed on the Alternate Solutions Institute website: [1]

Staff (2015)

• Dr. Raza Ullah — President
• Dr. Khalil Ahmad — Executive Director (Past President) [6]
• Javed Baluch — Office Assistant

Board of Advisors (2015)

• Dr. Sajid Ali
• Zaffarullah Khan

Actions

May 21–23, 2012

The Alternate Solutions Institute is listed as a “silver sponsor” of the Heartland Institute’s Seventh International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC7). [7]

June 30–July 1, 2011

The Alternate Solutions Institute was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute‘s Sixth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC6) in Washington, DC. [8]

DeSmogBlog found that 17 of the 43 sponsors of the Heartland Institute’s Sixth International Conference on Climate Change, including the Heartland Institute itself, had collectively received over $46 million from either Scaife Foundations, Koch Foundations, or ExxonMobil. [9]

September 1, 2010

The Alternate Solutions Institute was one of a group of think-tanks that published “Seven Myths About Green Jobs,” which “concludes that Green Jobs are not that Green as is being claimed by the Green politicians and advocates.” [10]

May 16–18, 2010

The Alternate Solutions Institute was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute’s Fourth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC4) in Chicago, IL. DeSmogBlog investigated sponsors behind the conference, and found that they had collectively received over $40 million in funding since 1985 from ExxonMobil, and/or Koch Industries, and/or Scaife family foundations. [11], [12]

June 2, 2009

The Alternate Solutions Institute was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute’s Second International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC2) in Washington, DC. [13], [14]

March 2009

The Alternate Solutions Institute was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute’s 2009 International Conference on Climate Change. [15]

DeSmogBlog researched the funding behind Heartland’s Second International Conference on Climate Change, and found that sponsor organizations had received over $47 million in funding from energy companies and right-wing foundations, with 78% of that total coming from Scaife Family foundations. [16]

January 25, 2007

In advance of the release of a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Alternate Solutions Institute was one of a number of organizations to form a “global coalition” entitled the Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change. The goal of the coalition was to challenge the IPCC report. According to an Alternate Solutions Institute release, “The CSCCC aims at challenging the unjustified alarmism and promote rational debate.” [17]

Alternate Solutions Institute Contact & Location

As of June 2016, the Alternate Solutions Institute listed the following contact information on its website: [18]

Khalil Ahmad
Executive Director
Alternate Solutions Institute
P. O. Box No: 933
GPO, Lahore-54000
Pakistan

Office Address:
Room No. 32, 3rd Floor, Landmark Plaza,
Jail Road, Lahore
Pakistan

Phone: +(92)-300-4414814

General email:
[email protected]

Related Organizations

• Hum-Azad.org — Urdu version of the Alternate Solutions Institute website.
• Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change (CSCCC)

Resources

1. “About Alternate Solutions Institute,” Alternate Solutions Institute. Archived November 23, 2015. WebCite URL:  http://www.webcitation.org/6dGRxWFgV
2. Homepage, Alternate Solutions Institute. Archived November 23, 2015. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6dGSGrcHV
3.  Graham Dawson. “Privatizing Climate Policy,” Alternate Solutions Institute, April 28, 2010. Archived November 23, 2015. WebCite URL:  http://www.webcitation.org/6dGS6Pux
4. “Alternate Solutions Institute,” SourceWatch profile.
5. Malik Muhammed Arif. “Alternate Solutions Institute Receives $100,000 Grant from the Atlas Economic Research Foundation,” Ground Report, March 26, 2008. Archived November 25, 2015. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6dJV7jVkt
6. “About Alternate Solutions Institute,” Alternate Solutions Institute. Archived January 22, 2012. 
7. “Cosponsors,” 7th International Conference on Climate Change. Archived May 10, 2012. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmogBlog.
8. Sixth International Conference on Climate Change Conference Program (PDF), the Heartland Institute. Archived July 25, 2015. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmogBlog.
9. Brendan DeMelle. “Denial-a-Palooza 6: Heartland’s Sixth International Conference on Climate Change, Courtesy of Koch, Scaife & Exxon,” DeSmogBlog, June 30, 2011.
10. “Media Release: ‘Green’ Subsidies Are Costly for Taxpayers and the Environment – New Study,” Alternate Solutions Institute, September 1, 2010. Archived May 8, 2012 with WebCite.
11. “4th International Conference on Climate Change: Sponsored by the Heartland Institute” (Conference Program – PDF), The Heartland Institute, May, 2010. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmogBlog.
12. Brendan DeMelle. “Denial-a-palooza Round 4: ‘International Conference on Climate Change’ Groups Funded by Exxon, Koch Industries,” DeSmogBlog, May 13, 2010.
13. “Co-Sponsors,” Third International Conference on Climate Change. Archived July 14, 2010. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmogBlog.
14. “Co-Sponsors,” Third International Conference on Climate Change. Archived July 14, 2010.
15. “Co-Sponsors,” The 2009 International Conference on Climate Change, February 10, 2009. Archived February 27, 2009.
16. “Heartland Institute’s 2009 Climate Conference in New York: funding history of the sponsors,” DeSmogBlog. 
17. “Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change to Challenge IPCC Report,” Alternate Solutions Institute, January 25, 2007. Archived November 25, 2015. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6dJbEMjrO
18. “Contact,” Alternate Solutions Institute. Archived June 8, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6i7Xcb2EU

Other Resources

• “Alternate Solutions Institute,” SourceWatch.