event details - Exploring the Potential of Circular Economy in Pakistan

Pakistan is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to its geographical location, a predominantly agricultural economy, and high population growth rate. The Global climate Risk Index by German Watch has listed Pakistan among the top 10 countries which are most vulnerable to climate crises. Extreme weather events caused by climate change have negative impacts on infrastructure, agriculture and human health, in turn, exacerbating the country’s ailing economy and the socio-economic crises with disproportate impacts on women and youth.

To address the challenges posed by climate change, Pakistan needs to adopt a sustainable and circular economy approach both in the public and private sectors. The circular economy can help mitigate the negative impacts of climate change by promoting sustainable production and consumption practices, reducing waste, and increasing resource efficiency. By transitioning to a circular economy, Pakistan can reduce its dependence on natural resources, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and build resilience to climate change. Empowering women and youth will contribute to a just transition process that leaves no one behind.

In this context, a high-level policy dialogue on Circular Economy in Pakistan is proposed to bring together relevant stakeholders to discuss the different pathways of transitioning towards a circular economy.

The main objectives of the policy dialogue are:

➢ To raise awareness and build consensus among policymakers, public and private sector actors, and women youth-led startups on the need for a circular economy transition in Pakistan.

➢ To explore the potential of circular economy in different sectors, including the packaging industry, textiles, and agriculture, and identify successful business models and practices.

➢ To identify the challenges and opportunities in the transition towards a circular economy, with a particular focus on social inclusion, policy landscape and circularity.

➢ To encourage public-private partnerships, innovative financing mechanisms, and knowledge-sharing platforms to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

Stakeholders:

The policy dialogue will bring together a diverse range of stakeholders, including policymakers, public sector representatives, corporates, private sector actors, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry representatives, women-led and youth-led startups, development partners, and civil society organizations. 

Structure & Themes for discussion:

The policy dialogue will be structured around the following four themes and will be conducted in a hybrid format in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs). The diaologue will be a roundtable discussion, having an opening and a closing plenary. The roundtable discussion will be divided into following themes and will be wrapped up in 2 hours. 

a) The Need for Circular Economy Transition in Pakistan: This session will highlight the need for a circular economy transition in Pakistan and provide an overview of the circular economy concept and its potential benefits. Furthermore, it will assess how current policy landscape can support the transition to circular economy with public sector ownership.

b) Green Jobs and Incusive transition for Circular Economy: Transitioning to a circular economy also requires active engagement from the private sector. Opportunities for sustainable business growth will be discussed and how businesses and SMEs working on circularity can be supported will be discussed. Moreover, the potential of circular economy to create green jobs in Pakistan and how green jobs also contribute to achieving circular economy in sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, textiles, and waste management will be discussed as well as the required green skills and existing gaps. Furthermore, the importance of social inclusion in the transition towards a circular economy as a cross-cutting theme will be highlightes. It will showcase successful examples of women and youth-led circular initiatives and explore ways to increase the participation of marginalized communities in circular value chains.

c) Circularity in Packaging Industry: Going into a sectoral approach, this will explore the potential of circularity in the packaging industry, highlighting successful sustainable business models and practices. It will also focus on the role of policy and regulation in promoting circularity in packaging and reducing waste by having participation from leading FMCG sectors.

Expected Outcomes:

✓ Enhanced awareness and consensus on the need for a circular economy transition in Pakistan.

✓ Recommendations for policy and regulatory frameworks and incentives to promote circularity in different sectors.

✓ Identification of opportunities and challenges in the circular economy sector for green job creation.

✓ Building of partnerships and collaborations between stakeholders to promote green job creation and build green skills for circular economy. 

✓ Increased understanding and identification of pathways to realize just and inclusive transition to circular economy.

✓ Opportunities for public-private partnerships, innovative financing mechanisms, and knowledge-sharing platforms to accelerate just transition to a circular economy.