The foreign missions in Islamabad on Wednesday launched the ‘Clean and Green Diplomatic Enclave’ drive by collecting waste from various parts of the locality.
The campaign was launched under the DiploGreen initiative spearheaded by embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK and the United States.
The staff of the foreign missions gathered in front of the Canadian High Commission early in the morning and then dispersed in various directions to collect waste. A large number of members of civil society also joined them in this noble cause.
The DiploGreen initiative also supports the plastic-free Islamabad campaign recently announced by the Ministry of Climate Change.
Embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, UK and US take part in DiploGreen initiative
As a first effort under the initiative, employees and volunteers from various missions held a two-hour recycling drive and cleanup across the Diplomatic Enclave. The cleanup and recycling drive was followed by a gathering at the Canadian High Commission to discuss environmental challenges at the local, national and global levels. The gathering gave the participating diplomatic missions as well as businesses and organisations an opportunity to discuss their respective sustainability pledges in favour of a healthier environment. Under these pledges, new environmental measures were discussed, including banning single-use plastics, starting a recycling programme, committing to reduce energy or water usage and supporting awareness campaigns.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam also joined the gathering and shared PTI government’s vision about environment protection and related issues.
Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner of Canada Wendy Gilmour said she was delighted to announce the launch of DiploGreen, addingthat their goal was to raise awareness about the environmental issues. “Today the diplomatic community came together to clean and recycle our way to a healthier environment for us all,” she said. “We all are impacted by the environmental issues. It is imperative that we continue to work across geographic and political boundaries to protect our natural surroundings,” she added.
DiploGreen is an extension of France’s sustainable development programs currently being implemented in Pakistan. The French embassy started the programme earlier this year to reduce its own environmental impact in the country by banning the single-use plastic utensils in events it was organising. France has also contributed significantly for sustainable development of Pakistan with a portfolio amount of 973 million euros and 23 projects financed during the last 12 years.
