Pakistan calls for multilateral approach to achieve ‘zero-waste’ world

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Pakistan has called for a multilateral approach approach to achieve the goal of a ‘zero-waste’ world, as the UN chief warned that “toxin-filled waste is seeping into our soil, our water, and our air.”

Pakistani and global perspectives on the key subject figured at a meeting held in UN General Assembly hall at the UN headquarters in New York to mark International Day of Zero Waste.

The event was organized by was arranged by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-HABITAT in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Turkiye to the UN with the support of Zero Waste Foundation.

Fashion is under the spotlight for this year’s international day, underscoring staggering resource consumption and pollution levels. It is an industry where trends change rapidly, garments are often discarded after being worn a handful of times.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative-designate of Pakistan to the UN, emphasized he need for sustainable waste management practices and enhanced multilateral cooperation to address the mounting waste crisis.

He commended Türkiye’s leadership in raising awareness about this crucial issue, and lauded First Lady Emine Erdogan for her consistent advocacy

and leadership in promoting environmental sustainability.

In this regard, Ambassador Asim underscored the alarming statistics– 2.3 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste generated annually, over 1 billion

tonnes of food wasted each year while 29% of the global population faces food insecurity, and 92 million tonnes of textile waste accumulating worldwide.

“We are undoubtedly in the midst of a global waste crisis,” he stated