ISLAMABAD, Apr 18 (Alliance News): Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Senator Musadik Masood Malik, has declared that Pakistan is embracing textile circularity not just as a policy, but as a cultural and environmental responsibility.
Speaking at a high-level dialogue titled “Circularity and Used Textiles Trade in Pakistan”, Malik highlighted Pakistan’s deep-rooted tradition of reuse, stating that less than 1% of secondhand clothing ends up in landfills.
The event, organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and supported by the European Union, brought together policymakers, experts, and international stakeholders to shape Pakistan’s sustainable textile future.
Minister Malik emphasized the urgency of building green audit infrastructure to meet upcoming EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) standards.
“We are not resisting the green agenda—we are adopting it for future generations. But any unilateral framework that penalizes culturally sustainable nations like ours is unjust,” he said.
SDPI’s Executive Director, Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, noted that while developing nations have long carried the burden of textile waste, Pakistan is reversing this narrative.
“Over 99% of our used textiles are reutilized. We must brand these recycled exports proudly as green products,” he said, adding that 30% of Pakistan’s population wears secondhand clothing annually.
UNEP’s Sheila Aggarwal-Khan projected that the used textile market could grow to $3 trillion by 2030, offering a major opportunity for Pakistan to lead in circular practices. “If managed well, Pakistan can lead the Global South in textile circularity,” she said.
Barbara Riksen from the EU praised Pakistan’s ability to manage textile waste and expressed support for traceability and green value chains. She shared that Pakistan received 175,000 tonnes of the EU’s 1.4 million tonnes of used textiles in 2023, demonstrating its central role in global circular trade.
UNEP’s Battina Heller and Claire Thiebaut, along with SDPI’s Dr. Khalid Walid, highlighted the need for strategic investments, consumer behavior change, and coherent policies. Walid introduced the “9 Cs” framework, which includes climate, cotton, CBAM, and circular credits.
According to SDPI’s Zainab Naeem, Pakistan earned $283.9 million in 2024 from used textile exports. However, she emphasized the urgent need for a national policy and better infrastructure to strengthen the sector’s global competitiveness.
The session concluded with remarks from Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel, Chairman of SDPI’s Board of Governors, who underscored that Pakistan’s cultural values already align with circularity. “With proper policy integration, we can scale this sector and set an international example,” he said.
UNEP’s Beatriz Fernandez lauded Pakistan’s leadership, calling the initiative a potential global benchmark for sustainable textile trade.
