Islamabad (Khyber Mail): The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), through its Centre for Strategic Perspectives (CSP), commemorated World Environment Day 2025 with an in-house event featuring discussions on climate challenges, plastic pollution, and environmental governance.
The event’s keynote speaker, Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel, Chairperson of the Board of Governors, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), highlighted global milestones in environmental governance and stressed the urgency of addressing climate change.
Dr. Neelum Nigar, CSP, opened the session by emphasizing the need for effective policies to combat plastic pollution and climate change impacts, both in Pakistan and globally.
Director General ISSI, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, warned that targets set under the Paris Agreement were increasingly at risk, noting that Pakistan—among the most climate-vulnerable nations—faces severe environmental stress due to climate-induced disasters and slow policy implementation.
Research Fellow Ahmed Naeem Salik highlighted Pakistan’s plastic pollution crisis, calling for a national plastic policy, corporate accountability, and mass awareness campaigns to curb environmental damage.
Ambassador Kakakhel reflected on the Stockholm Conference (1972) and Rio Declarations, underscoring their role in shaping shared global responsibility for environmental protection. He noted Pakistan’s active contributions in international environmental forums, while urging accelerated efforts to tackle emerging environmental crises.
The event concluded with an interactive discussion between ISSI research faculty and attendees, followed by a tree plantation ceremony—symbolizing Pakistan’s commitment to sustainable development and ecological conservation.