LAHORE: Engro Polymer and Chemicals on Friday hosted a dialogue on climate change, construction materials and technologies of the future, building inclusive communities, and the circular economy to celebrate the rural and urban development week at the Dubai Expo 2020.
The thematic forum featured leading architects, developers, and construction sector specialists, including Arshad Shahid Abdulla Principal & Founding Partner Shahid Abdulla, Irretec Country Manager Abid Bukhari, Paragon Constructors CEO Babar Siddiqui, Ali Arshad Associates Principal Architect Ali Naqvi and Interwood Director Sales and Marketing Ali Farooq.
Engro Corporation and Dawood Hercules Corporation Chairman Hussain Dawood, who was present on the occasion, appreciated Pakistan Pavilion in showcasing the incredible strength of the country.
Held in partnership with the Pakistan Pavilion, the event focused on encouraging the private sector, governments and the civil society to share knowledge, collaborate and reimagine the future of cities, whilst being cognizant of the cultural context in Pakistan.
The speakers highlighted that the global pandemic has accelerated a transition towards sustainability to create a lasting impact in communities. The panel recognised the need for sourcing alternative materials, becoming energy-efficient, harnessing knowledge from indigenous communities and combining them with new technologies to influence design, architecture, and construction, to pave the way for resilient smart cities of the future.
Speaking on the occasion, Engro Polymer and Chemicals CEO Jahangir Piracha said, “Engro’s emphasis on adopting a sustainability-centric and future-ready approach is reflected by this event that has brought together global experts and changemakers to deliberate on the future of construction in Pakistan.”
He said that the group’s recent projects to make production processes more standardised, resource-efficient, and circular plastics initiatives reinforce its commitment to a sustainable end-to-end operation.
Moreover, the event also marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Engro Polymer & Chemicals and Karachi School of Business and Leadership (KSBL) to establish a Circular Plastics Institute in Pakistan.
This first-of-its-kind academic collaboration will aim to develop an action-oriented and data-driven roadmap for a path towards a zero plastic waste future in Pakistan.
