Coordinator to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam said that the present government is committed to boost collaboration with various stakeholders involving countries and non-governmental organizations for achieving sustainable development goals. During her meeting on Tuesday with a high-profile six-member delegation from Yuanhe Holdings and the Green and Low-Carbon Committee of the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation (SIEF), she emphasized that engaging with development partners and countries with sound technical know-how, technology, and expertise in implementation of the UN’s sustainable development goals is present government’s top agenda, aiming to achieve poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, climate resilience, gender empowerment and other socio-economic development related goals. SIEF delegation was led by its Dr. Ma Chengliang, senior advisor of the Green and Low-carbon Committee met PM’s climate aide Romina Khurshid Alam at the climate change and environmental coordination ministry.

Both sides expressed commitment to collaborate for achieving sustainable development in Pakistan through joint working in areas including environment, climate change, disaster risk reduction, poverty reduction and gender development. SIEF is a global nonprofit, non-partisan organization with headquarters in Beijing and connects top business leaders from China, Europe, Australasia, Arab and Africa from across industries, continents and cultures through meaningful engagements, such as the Sino-European Entrepreneurs Summit, the Sino-Australasian Entrepreneurs Summit, the China-Africa Investment Forum, the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Summit, the China-Arab Entrepreneurs Summit, the Sino-Japan Entrepreneurs Summit, as well as a broad range of ongoing programmes around the world. PM’s climate aide said that the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif-led government strongly believes in collaboration with various governments, private sector, civil society organisations and academia and development partners through joint multi-stakeholder engagement for achieving common goals of environmental sustainability, climate resilience and socio-economic development.

She remarked, “Collaboration at any level and in any form for sustainable development is essential to address the interconnected challenges facing our world, such as climate change, poverty, inequality, and the depletion of natural resources. It involves working together across sectors, borders, and disciplines to create long-term solutions that are socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable.” “Effective collaboration can significantly help leverage resources, knowledge, and expertise to tackle complex global issues such as climate change, health, and inequality,” she added. Highlighting the unprecedented significance of inclusive development through collaborations, PM’s climate aide said further that inclusivity is a crucial for achieving sustainable development.

However, collaboration must be participatory, ensuring that all voices, especially those of marginalized, resource-poor communities, are heard and considered in decision-making processes. Romina Khurshid Alam said that for leveraging ethnology and innovation is vital to achieving sustainable development goals. Because, technology and innovation play vital roles in tackling environmental sustainability and climate change challenges. “From renewable energy technologies to data-driven decision-making tools, innovation can drive efficiency and create new opportunities. Collaboration between the tech sector, research institutions, and governments can accelerate the development and deployment of sustainable technologies,” PM climate aide remarked. SIEF delegation head Dr. Ma Chengliang lauded the present government’s vision for environmentally-sustainable and climate-resilience Pakistan and the initiatives launched for achieving the vision.

The growing recognition of the business case for sustainability is driving a shift in how companies view their roles in society. He said, "Integrate sustainability into business operations help increased operational efficiencies, improved brand reputation and enhanced employee engagement. Besides,, sustainability is becoming a key factor in consumer purchasing decisions, with many individuals actively seeking products and services from companies committed to environmental stewardship and social responsibility." “We are at a critical juncture,” said Dr. Ma Chengliang, the SIEF’s senior advisor said, “We hope our collaboration with Pakistan and its business community would lead to exploiting available opportunities for joint benefits address various socio-economic and environmental challenges, but also help unlock new business opportunities.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan