Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik links plantation drive to climate resilience, corporate responsibility

Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik on Thursday said plantation and forest conservation were essential tools in combating climate change, as he highlighted the human and environmental costs of recent climate-related disasters in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th May, 2026) Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik on Thursday said plantation and forest conservation were essential tools in combating climate change, as he highlighted the human and environmental costs of recent climate-related disasters in Pakistan.

Speaking at a plantation drive organised by Coca-Cola in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) at Hill View Park in F-6/3, the minister said rising carbon dioxide emissions were contributing to increasing temperatures, glacial melt, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and devastating floods.

He said more than 6,000 people had lost their lives in recent floods, while millions were displaced and many children lost access to education, with some never returning to school.

“We owe it to those children to take meaningful climate action so that such disasters can either be prevented or the country can become better prepared to deal with them,” he said.

The plantation activity was held under the broader “Clean and Green Islamabad” afforestation campaign aimed at expanding green spaces and improving the urban environment in the capital.

Dr Malik planted a sapling during the event and interacted with students from various schools who participated in a painting competition themed “Clean and Green Islamabad”.

The students later joined the plantation activity in the park.

The minister praised the creativity of children, saying society often overlooked their ideas and imagination, which needed to be encouraged and protected.

He said the ministry had pledged to plant three trees for every allergenic paper mulberry tree removed from Islamabad, adding that the ongoing plantation campaign was part of fulfilling that commitment.

Appreciating Coca-Cola’s participation, Dr Malik said such partnerships should encourage other corporations to fulfil their social and environmental responsibilities as well.

He noted that similar plantation drives had already been conducted in collaboration with Zong and Hum Network.

The minister said Coca-Cola had procured and handed over 5,000 trees, adding that it was now a collective responsibility to ensure their protection and growth.

“These children will hold society accountable, and the media will hold the ministry accountable for these trees,” he remarked.

Speaking on the occasion, Coca-Cola Senior Director Dr Faisal Hashmi said the company remained committed to supporting sustainable public spaces and would continue monitoring the planted saplings for at least the next 12 months.

Secretary Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Director General Pak-EPA, Inspector General Forests and other senior officials also attended the event.