By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: An Ethiopia-Pakistan Green Dialogue was held at a local hotel in Lahore to promote green culture, innovation and technology in the global south for effectively fighting the climate change.
The “Ethiopia–Pakistan Green Dialogue: Lessons from Ethiopia’s Green Legacy” was jointly organized by the Ethiopian Embassy Islamabad and the Parks & Horticulture Authority Lahore, Government of the punjab.
The event was graced by Bilal Yasin, Minister of Punjab for Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering as a Chief Guest, while Muddassir Riaz Malik, Secretary Forest, Wildlife & Fisheries Department, DG PHA Punjab Naheed Gul Baloch and Zaki Ijaz, Vice President of Federations of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry attended as the guests of honor.
A delegation from Ethiopia took part in the Dialogue which saw huge presence from Pakistan including government officials, diplomatic corps, climate experts, University professors, business community, academia, youth and civil society.
H.E. Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula, Special Envoy and Ambassador Extraordinary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, presided over the dialogue along with H.E. Mansoor Ahmad, Director General PHA.
Addressing the launching the ceremony of dialogue, the Ambassador briefed the participants about the importance of massive plantation through community mobilization to avert the adverse impacts of the climate change.
He said Pakistan needs to learn from Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative of our Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, whose leadership and commitment helped Ethiopia plant more than 41.2 seedlings that significantly enhancing green cover through forestation and reforestation and addressing food insecurity, soil erosion, poverty and unemployment.
The Ambassador said Pakistan is facing the severe climate changes despite being the least contribution to the carbon emissions. “Pakistan is not alone in its fight against climate change as Ethiopia firmly stands with its brothers and sisters from Pakistan.
He said the Government of Ethiopia has sent a high-level delegation to Pakistan to express solidarity and share our experiences with Pakistan to tackle the climate changes. “I would like to thank H.E. Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab, for providing us this opportunity to initiate the discussions on the Green Legacy Initiative in Punjab,” he added.
The DG PHA said the dialogue is the manifestation of the climate-friendly agenda of Chief Minister Punjab who is committed to modernize Punjab in sustainable manner.
He appreciated the Green Legacy Initiative and vowed to strengthen the two sides partnership in this regard.
FPCCI Vice President Zaki Aijaz lauded the initiative taken by the Ethiopian Embassy Islamabad and Government of Punjab to promote dialogue to address the issue of most pressing issues of our times—climate change.
As part of the proceedings, Green Legacy Awards were presented, followed by a mass tree plantation ceremony, reflecting the shared commitment of Pakistan and Ethiopia towards a greener future.
A thought-provoking panel discussion on Green Legacy Initiatives brought together experts and policymakers who shared innovative strategies, policy frameworks, and community engagement models to promote long-term environmental sustainability.
The session concluded with a lively Q&A, where participants expressed strong support for further enhancing Pakistan–Ethiopia collaboration in climate resilience, ecological restoration, and sustainable development.
