CBS - WWF Pakistan Panel Talk "Responsibility is Sustainability: A Talk on Responsible Plastic Consumption"

Responsibility is Sustainability: A Talk on Responsible Plastic Consumption

Keeping the highlight of its work on the United Nations SDGs, CBS in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan organized a panel session on February 28, 2022 that revolved around SDG 12 “Responsible Consumption and Production”. The talk titled “Responsibility is Sustainability: A Talk on Responsible Plastic Consumption” had industry-wide panelists from the following companies: 

1.    Mr. Waqar Ahmed Khan, Head of Corporate and Sustainability at Nestle Pakistan
2.    Dr. Faisal Hashmi, Head of Government Affairs, Stakeholder Management and Administration at Coca-Cola Afghanistan and Pakistan
3.    Mr. Muhammad Khosa, Senior Director for Commercial and Corporate Affairs at PepsiCo Pakistan
4.    Mr. Hamad Naqi Khan, CEO WWF - Pakistan
5.    Ms. Nazifa Butt, Senior Manager Energy and Climate Programme at WWF Pakistan
6.    Mr. Omar Sagheer Rana, Director Engineering at Capital Development Authority Islamabad (CDA)
7.    Ms. Aleya Khan, Chief Operating Officer at Novumpack 
8.    Mr. Babar Bhatti, Director Green Earth Recycling (GER)

The panel that was moderated by Dr. Zehra Waheed, Assistant Professor, SDSB and Director CBS, also had academic representation with Dr. Basit Yameen, Associate Professor from Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE – LUMS) and Rafay Abdul Razzaq, Student Society President of LUMS Environmental Action Forum (LEAF). The objective of the panel talk was to bring awareness on the ever-growing important issue of plastic consumption and waste management in the country and to carve out possible sustainable solutions. 

Experts in their fields of plastic management, recycling and sustainability, the panelists provided insightful overviews of their work and the significant initiatives being taken to tackle plastic consumption in the country. Some notable examples are Nestle’s initiative of paper straws which is the first of its kind initiative in Pakistan and their CoRe (collect and recycle) Alliance that is committed to making 100% of recyclable and reusable packaging by 2025. Coca-Cola’s partnership with CDA for roads being carpeted with recycled plastic waste in Islamabad was another highlighted project during the panel session. 

The session also emphasized the crucial roles that various societal elements including individuals, government, NGOs and big corporations are currently partaking in and have to fulfill on the pathway to sustainability. 

The panel talk concluded on a promising note, highlighting the very title of the session; a responsible future is a sustainable future.