OICCI organized Pakistan Climate Conference 2022 to contribute to Nationally Determined Commitments (NDCs) made by government of Pakistan at the COP26. The event, sponsored by OICCI members, was attended by a large number of participants representing government officials, NGOs, policy makers, climate experts, climate change activists, academia, civil society members, journalists and industry leaders. SAPM on Climate Change (then), Malik Amin Aslam, lauded OICCI for bringing together several corporations on one platform and helping the government to lead climate actions in Pakistan. Adviser to PM on Commerce and Investment (then), Abdul Razak Dawood, also applauded the OICCI and said that Pakistan Climate Conference has laid the foundation for an action plan that will help Pakistan meet its global climate commitments and ensure the sustainability of its economy.

Besides leading professionals on Climate Change, the conference was addressed by global CEOs of Unilever, Mr. Alan Jope, IKEA, Mr. Jesper Brodin, SCB, Mr. Bill Winters, Mr. Alok Sharma, President COP26, Ms. Nadja Picard, Head of Reporting, PwC Global and experts on climate governance included Mr. Knut Ostby, Resident Representative of UNDP Pakistan, and Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director SDPI. The speakers said that Pakistan has much to do if it is to meet its ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which aims to cut 50% of projected emissions and achieve 60% renewable energy by 2030. In addition, Pakistan has set the vision to work on clean transport, with 30% electric vehicles by 2030. All of this requires urgent and concrete policy action within the country over the remainder of this decade. In view of this ambition, the Pakistan Climate Conference has started dialog on several critical areas and provide the dialogue needed for the country to speed up its climate positive journey.

The conference was built on the learnings from COP26 to identify and implement efforts needed to reduce climate impact in Pakistan and aimed to share learnings and best practices to help Pakistan develop necessary climate interventions. Local as well as global speakers shared their ambitions, solutions, and learnings to foster climate change actions in Pakistan. The panel discussions covered a wide range of topics including the importance of renewable energy in reducing emissions along with Pakistan’s potential and policy issues, reducing waste through circular economy, sustainable solutions to bring recyclable plastic back into use, reducing waste usage in industrial processes and scientific tracking of environmental metrics.

“Synergizing the Climate Ambition: A Blueprint for Achieving NDCs through Private Sector Engagement in Pakistan” - White Paper based on the Learnings from PCC

To publish and disseminate the learnings and key insights from PCC, OICCI produced a research based white paper, "Synergizing the Climate Ambition: A Blueprint for Achieving NDCs through Private Sector Engagement in Pakistan”. The white paper highlights that by employing smart and environmentally compatible technologies, the Country has the potential to reduce its carbon emissions up to 20%, by decarbonizing its transport and agricultural sector, closely followed by manufacturing industrial processes. Additionally, by controlling indirect upstream and downstream emissions, as well as by providing a mechanism to the suppliers for reducing emissions across their value chain, the private sector can help Pakistan achieve its NDC targets. The industries will require transforming business models that could open new revenue streams and drive innovation. However, the industry partners cannot work alone without the support from government, civil society, and consumer bodies. Therefore, the need for public-private partnerships and alliances becomes even more important. A key outcome proposed by OICCI through this white paper is the recommendation to the Government to adopt three primary resolutions to mobilize climate action amongst stakeholders across the country - Set up a Climate Change and Corporate Implementation Task Force, establish a Steering Committee that reviews and gradually raises the bar for improving the Climate Related Disclosures thoughtfully and develop a Pakistan Climate Knowledge Sharing Initiative.