The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) and the Pakistan Business Council (PBC) hosted a two-days sprint, “Design for Responsible Growth” to help participants from member companies developing strategies and frameworks to make their businesses resilient to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Launching the sprint, CEO Unilever Pakistan, Amir Paracha said, “The 21st-century innovation and technological revolution has brought most critical challenges and changes in human behavior. As we now concentrate” Amir added “on our relationship with the planet, our impact and demands on ESG become the most urgent and critical management approach to adopt as a sustainable solution”. Rubin Nuttal, expert partner at McKinsey and Co, Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO Altruistiq, Shafaq Fauzil Azim, CAO, Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance and Arif Mirza, Ex-MENA Regional Head of Policy, ACCA addressed various technical sessions which were followed by activities – defining the business case for ESG, understanding impact and defining scale, defining ESG strategy and ESG reporting and framework overview. Syed Ahson Ali Shah, Partner KPMG and Maha Qasim from Zero Point and other trainers employed various techniques such as Balanced Score Card, Stakeholder mapping and learning from Case Studies for effective learning. The design sprint apprised the participants about risk mitigation and navigation approaches, drafting a blueprint for organisational strategy, and establishing an ESG internal governance framework. The two-day sprint concluded with a panel discussion on ESG policy needed in Pakistan. The panelists included Aamir Khan, Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Chairperson & Independent Director, Pakistan Stock Exchange, M. Abdul Aleem, CE/ Secretary General, OICCI, Ehsan Malik, CEO, Pakistan Business Council and Amir Paracha CEO, Unilever Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, M Abdul Aleem said, “OICCI members not only bring investment, breakthrough technologies, global business practices and knowhow to Pakistan, but are also leading the social and climate agenda through thought leadership. In 2021 alone”, M. Abdul Aleem continued, “our members contributed PKR 11 billion in CSR, which included PKR 1.5 billion for the protection of environment. Additionally, this year, till now, our members committed over PKR 9 billion in flood relief and rehabilitation activities. OICCI member companies, the largest network of MNCs operating in Pakistan, are also leading on other climate initiatives such as conversion to alternate energy sourcing, reducing waste, promoting circular economy, etc. through sustainable business practices”.