CEOs, directors of enterprises: WWF-P organises two-day workshop

World Wide Funds for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P)'s Green Office Programme organised a two-day workshop for CEOs and directors of major business and enterprises here on Tuesday. The workshop was conducted by WWF Finland officials. Helka Julkunen (Head of Green Office Initiative, WWF Finland) and Maiju Sirvio (Green Office Expert) trained participants from Mobilink, Packages, Servis Industries, Descon, Haleeb Foods, ICI Pakistan, UMT.
Berger Paints, Qarshi Industries, Tetra Pak, ACCA Pakistan and Sialkot Dry Port Trust. Arif Masud Mirza, head of ACCA Pakistan, and Ishaq Butt of the Sialkot Dry Port Trust were some of the participants of the workshop. Speaking at the occasions, Rizwan Mehmood, Manager Disaster Response in Pakistan, said the Green Office Initiative will not only fulfil the environmental commitment of companies but will also generate eco friendly employees, who are more environmentally conscientious. The aim of the programme is to reduce the carbon footprint of companies and also reducing resource consumption in offices, he added.
Julkunen informed the participants, "By joining the Green Office initiative, companies become a part of a global network of more than 200 international organisations that have been certified as Green Offices by WWF. They receive support and further training and information by the international Green Office intranet, an Environment Monitoring System and several other privileges."
Mustafa Ahmad of Packages shared a presentation about the success story of Packages as an early adopter of the Green Office Programme. It may be mentioned that in a move to involve major businesses in the movement for conservation of environment, WWF's Green Office Programme engages with the business community and enlightens them about the environmental impacts of their work, and how they can effectively be more environmentally proactive. The programme is successfully being implemented in various countries, including Pakistan, India, Vietnam and Turkey.
In Pakistan, some of the companies, corporations and educational institutes that are already supporting and participating in the Green Office Programme are Engro Fertilisers and Corporation, and its subsidiaries like Engro Foods, Polymers, Powergen, Unilever Ltd, Packages Ltd, IBA Sukkur, Tetra Pak Ltd, Qarshi Industries and Irfan and Irfan Law Associate.