KARACHI: Mashreq, under its global Climb2Change initiative, has conducted clean-up and environmental conservation drive on K2, the world's second highest mountain.
Mashreq has undertaken a mission to scale and clean-up 14 of the world’s mightiest mountains, with the aim of reaching 7 peaks and the base camps of the remaining 7 mountains.
In early July, Mashreq announced phase 3 of its Climb2Change global initiative, in which it embarked on a mission to clean up K2 and Broad Peak, two of the mightiest mountains in Pakistan to spread awareness about waste reduction and environmental preservation on a global scale.
Renowned climbers, Maria Conceicao and Naila Kiani, are Mashreq’s Climb2Change Ambassadors for the expedition in Pakistan.
Since the expedition began, Maria Conceicao and Naila Kiani have led the Mashreq clean-up team, extending their efforts beyond the base camp.
The team has also conducted two rigorous rotations up to Camp 2, and a final climb to Camp 3 thereby collecting substantial amounts of waste. Such an extensive clean-up operation at the higher camps of Pakistan’s mountains supported by a non-government entity isn’t common.
Mashreq is committed to setting the benchmarks higher and inspiring more to join in on their mission to ‘Rise Responsibly’. The clean-up expedition in Pakistan builds on the success of the initial two phases in Nepal, where five of the mightiest peaks and one base camp were scaled and cleaned.
The team faced challenging weather during the high-altitude expedition, but their perseverance remained unchanged. Committed to ensuring K2 is waste-free, the high-altitude cleaning team will attempt for a final clean-up climb after all climbers have descended.
The enthusiasm and dedication of the low altitude and high-altitude cleaning team members have been commendable. Their eagerness to remove as much waste as possible from K2 reflects their commitment to preserving the natural beauty of the mountains. This initiative and spirit of collaboration sets a new benchmark for future expeditions.
Launched in November 2023, Climb2Change is Mashreq’s global initiative that integrates the bank’s comprehensive Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments and milestones.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024