American Business Council Celebrates Pakistan’s first ESG Excellence Awards
The American Business Council (ABC) in Pakistan announced the 1st Annual Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Awards ceremony to recognize businesses that have made progress in sustainability and social impact.
Coca-Cola Pakistan (Environment – Nature Saviour), Pepsico (Environment – Response to Climate Change), PMI (Social), KFC (Social), and McDonald’s (Environment) were among the winners.
The ABC network, which has more than 60 US-backed member companies, pays around $1 billion in taxes a year and employs more than 1 million Pakistanis.
More than 100 of the top CEOs from international corporations, corporate executives, government officials, and specialists on climate change attended this event. The principal guest was Senator Fawzia Arshad. “The corporate sector and the governmental sector must work together if the worrying rise in climate disasters in our country is to be reduced,” she proclaimed. This position involves multiple institutions.
Jamshed Safdar, president of the ABC, Fahad Ashraf, chair of the ABC’s ESG committee, Tariq Huda, former chairman of the Karachi Port Trust, Amber Rahim Shamsi, director of the CEJ office of the IBA university, Malik Amin Aslam, and Leah Severino, economic unit chief US counsel general, were in attendance at the award ceremony.
Trade organizations and chambers, such as KCCI and OICCI, praised the prizes.
Famous environmentalist Afia Salam, Nazifa Butt, Senior Manager Climate and Energy Program at WWF-Pakistan, Simi Kamal, Chairperson of Hissar Foundation, Shaista Ayesha, CEO SEED Ventures, Syed Omar Public Affairs director of CCI, and Babar Aziz Bhatti, CEO Green Earth made up the panel of judges who determined the winners.
During a panel discussion on ESG problems, experts from several professions gave their perspectives on the importance of ESG in today’s corporate world.
Fahad Ashraf, senior vice president of ABC, vice president of Coca-Cola Pakistan, and chair of its ESG Subcommittee: “Businesses have committed to jointly advancing Pakistan’s Climate change agenda. When we have a healthy environment that rewards corporations for their good social deeds, we believe that real change may occur. To encourage others to make similar changes, we decided to recognize noteworthy work.
The American Business Council (ABC)’s background:
A leading business association for American businesses and organizations doing business in Pakistan is the American Business Council. ABC is committed to supporting corporate social responsibility, advancing sustainable business practices, and advancing commercial ties between the United States and Pakistan. It has more than 60 member businesses, and their combined yearly turnover exceeds Rs 600.