There will be no more use of single-use plastic materials in the Prime Minister Secretariat, all federal ministries and divisions as well as in all other federal government organisations as a part of the federal government's war on plastic in the country. The Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Senator Sherry Rehman said, "We have firmly decided to do this to free our federal government institutions of the plastic pollution and hope that provincial governments would follow the suit as a part of the present government's greater environmental sustainability agenda." She said further that ending non-degradable plastic use as a model for the nation is not possible without aggressive behavioural change awareness and advocacy efforts for beating plastic pollution at all levels. Speaking to the participants of a national "Beat Plastic Pollution" advocacy event in connection with the World Environment Day, Sherry Rehman emphasised that the ban would be in place from today at PM Secretariat and federal government divisions would be directed to ensure refillable water bottles and containers for official use. The event was organised by IUCN - Pakistan in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Serena Hotels and UN Environment Programme. Senator Rehman said further that the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has endorsed it and regulations would be released accordingly. However, the plastic manufacturers have directed to stop manufacturing of non-degradable plastics and by August 1, 2023 it would be discontinued, the climate change minister stated. She said the environment had become a topic of greater attention now, but there was very inadequate public awareness on the very environmental issues hitting us all, particularly the cancerous plastic pollution that merits a series of environmental events of the environmental anti-plastic pollution advocacy campaings. “Unless a community, household, office, trader, manufacturer or others do not contribute their input; no policy can come from the blue as climate policy cannot be policed it demands mutual consensus,” she opined. “Human legacy of this generation would be heaps and mountains of plastics. For, the whole world recycles merely 9 percent of the total plastic waste globally and it is not being recycled at any large scale, putting our environmental sustainability in jeopardy. Only Norway does 100% recycling of plastics and then Germany, Sherry Rehman highlighted. The European countries were doing it because they had environmental literacy,” she argued. Some 624 containers, she said, were dumped on our beaches full of hazardous plastics because the world was unable to recycle it, adding, “This plastic is going into our rivers, drains and oceans. We turned River Indus into the second most polluted river of the world.” The minister underlined that there was no plan and planet B as we cannot throw away this planet. “Plastics are not degrading even after a century. It is where it is and it’s proliferating. By 2050 plastics will be more than marine life in world oceans,” she added. Senator Rehman noted that without active citizenship government could not police its policies and regulations as no policy was successful without student and youth engagement. “This is becoming humanity’s biggest sin of polluting the entire environment. We have skin in this game that we have to reduce plastic pollution for our coming generations because it is our next generation’s matter,” she concluded. Others who also spoke at the event included the country representative of IUCN - Pakistan, Mahmood Akhtar Cheema and Senior Joint Secretary Syed Mujtaba Hussain, who also said that public engagement through advocacy and awareness campaigns are vital to efforts for beating the plastic pollution at all levels for achieving national environmental sustainability. Mr. Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, Country Representative, IUCN Pakistan in his welcome address, said regarding plastic pollution globally and in Pakistan, Mr. Cheema emphasized the fact that we are consuming Nano-plastics through our food, water and air. About 400 million tons of plastic is produced annually that ends up in our oceans, soil and ultimately in our food system. IUCN has taken global initiatives in beating plastic pollution, including projects like MARRPLASTICS and research on beating plastic pollution in the Baltic region. Syed Mujtaba Hussain, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination thanked IUCN for its effective collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change. He stated that the plastic pollution is the most pressing issue and a global concern of today. It has entered our daily lives via food, water and air thus posing critical consequences on environment and human health. The high-level panel discussion that ensued the key note addresses comprised of dignitaries, which was chaired by the Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Senator Sherry Rehman. The panel initiated with the remarks of H.E. Mr. Suh Sangpyo, The Ambassador Republic of Korea in Pakistan who shed light on the continuous collaboration of Korea with Pakistan on some of the crucial projects related to renewable energy, solar street lights, hydropower projects and fight against climate change. Mr. Christopher James Warner, Senior Environment Specialist at The World Bank Pakistan stated that so much plastic has been introduced in the daily lives of human beings, we now have almost everything replaced with plastic and are experiencing a plastic crisis. There are major economic costs associated with this such as the costs for the plastic cleanup, which are unaffordable. However, solutions are there which require maximum focus. H.E. Ms. Lianne Houban, Chargé d' Affaires, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Pakistan stated that we all are spoiled in using plastics as easy alternate. Plastic pollution has become a critical challenge for our new generations and therefore, we all have a duty to not leave it as legacy for the future generations. Ms. Lianne specified that only 9% of the total plastic waste is recycled globally. However, if consumers stop buying plastic, the industry will follow-up. Therefore, alternatives that are acceptable to all parties need to be designed. Syed Asim Ali Sabzwari, Environmental Expert Asian Development Bank, Mr. Amir Goraya, Assistant Resident Representative UNDP Pakistan; Dr. Zaeem Bin Babar, Associate Professor NUST, also highlighted their initiatives in combatting plastic poluution. Dr. Moin ud Din from Serena Hotels informed that Serena Hotel remains committed to its environmental stewardship and will continue to innovate and improve its sustainability efforts. By integrating sustainable practices, reducing plastic waste, and supporting conservation initiatives, Serena Hotel is dedicated to making a positive difference in the world and setting an example for the hospitality industry. Mr. Cheema, while delivering the vote of thanks mentioned that globally IUCN is addressing the triple planetary crisis of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change and making a difference through science, policy, and projects which provide holistic solutions and resources to restore and revitalise our planet and our ocean. On the sidelines, a photo exhibition titled After Us The Deluge - the work of renowned Dutch photographer Kadir van Lohuizen was organized with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands. The exhibition showed the impact on communities of rising sea levels caused by global warming. The event was attended by the members of the diplomatic corps who explained the issues pertaining to plastic pollution and its solutions. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
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