The National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), hosted, ‘Making A Difference’, an event to bring together experts from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and inspire the audience about how to co-create tech-oriented innovative and locally adaptable solutions that can be used to scale up sustainable interventions.
The event had in attendance representatives from the corporate sector, development sector, and academia who shared ideas about how they can join forces to create more sustainable business practices that make a difference in people’s lives, communities, and the planet.
It has now been proven that climate change impacts every aspect of our lives, both at an individual and at a macro level. From impacting the determinants of the food cycle, health, natural disasters, and even the social fabric of society. Therefore, contributing towards finding sustainable solutions has become a responsibility of everyone.
Organizations, be it from the corporate sector, government, academia, or SMEs, a key factor for success is developing collaborations. Partnerships between various stakeholders and industries to come up with locally adaptive, innovative, and scalable solutions are the only way forward to build a sustainable future.
The ‘Making A Difference’ event was hosted by Sana Maqbool, General Manager of NUST’s Corporate Relations who spoke about the role of NUST in creating powerful collaborations through public-private partnerships.
The event focused on community investments related to the environment, governance, and sustainability. Three masterclasses were delivered to highlight these areas of impact by Zouhair Khaliq, CEO of National Incubation Center and founder of TeamUp; Afia Salam, Trustee of Indus Earth; and Fahad Ashraf, Vice President of Coca-Cola, Pakistan.
A panel session including; Babar Aziz Bhatti, Managing Director Green Earth Recycling; Barira Hanif, Deputy Director of Sustainability at NUST; Syed Omar, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Coca-Cola İçecek Pakistan, Pervaiz Akhtar, Director Corporate Affairs Metro Cash and Carry, and Dr. Sher Jamal, Professor IESE at NUST, discussed that it is the need of the hour to develop linkages between innovation and sustainability through global best practices.
At the event, a report authored by NUST’s Deputy Director of Sustainability, Barira Hanif, on landmark projects of Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola İçecek Pakistan – including the Paani project, Pakistan’s first plastic road, and the recent rollout of bottles made from recycled plastic (rPET), was also shared.
Student engagement was also another key highlight of the event, where they engaged with leaders of various industries, asking them questions about their organizations’ sustainable practices, how the best practices can be adapted at a larger scale, and most important of all how they as individuals can play a positive role towards creating a brighter future.
