On World Environment Day 2025, Bank Alfalah joined hands with the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative (PAQI) and Karachi Urban Lab (KUL) at Institute of Business Administration (IBA) to release an evidence-backed emissions inventory titled “Karachi Emissions Inventory – A Scientific Foundation for a Clean Air City.” This collaborative effort provides the most comprehensive scientific insight to date on the city’s growing air quality challenges, offering a clear direction for policymakers and urban planners. Funded by Bank Alfalah, the report is based on findings from 13 air quality monitors installed across Karachi’s busiest districts, including Saddar, Korangi, Gadap, North Nazimabad, and Clifton. These monitors measure harmful pollutants like PM2.5, sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), and carbon dioxide (CO₂), which significantly impact public health and urban living standards.
The findings reveal that Karachi generated 394.82 kilo tons of emissions, with industrial activity contributing 49% and transportation 33% of the PM2.5 concentration. The city’s power generation sector, heavily reliant on high-sulfur fuel, added 30% of sulfur dioxide emissions. Interestingly, the residential sector’s emissions remained low due to Karachi’s typically warm climate, reducing the need for combustion-based heating. Despite some environmental reprieve provided by the city’s coastal sea breeze, overall pollution levels remain high due to the presence of marine salt particles and desert dust in the atmosphere.
The launch of the emissions report was accompanied by a policy dialogue hosted at IBA, where public and private stakeholders emphasized the need for stronger institutional coordination, enhanced real-time monitoring, health risk communication, and green financial mechanisms to support clean technology transitions. Abid Qamar, Founder of PAQI, noted that the problem is not unsolvable, adding that localized, data-driven solutions—especially targeting the industrial and transport sectors—can significantly improve Karachi’s air quality within a few years.
Madiha Javed Qureshi, Head of Corporate Communication and CSR at Bank Alfalah, reiterated the bank’s support for science-based approaches to public health and environmental improvement. She highlighted the bank’s proactive role in green financing and support for community-led climate action. As part of its broader environmental commitment, Bank Alfalah has pledged USD 10 million to advance climate resilience initiatives under the leadership of its Chairman, Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan.
Bank Alfalah also launched the #GreenWayForward campaign in partnership with WWF-Pakistan, planting 35,000 mangroves along Pakistan’s coastline between 2023 and 2024. This is part of the bank’s wider goal to plant 100,000 trees by 2030 in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan. Reflecting its increasing focus on sustainability, the bank’s green financing portfolio has reached PKR 26.6 billion. Currently, 155 ATMs operated by the bank are powered through solar energy, avoiding 193 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions in 2024 alone.
Further strengthening its green energy footprint, Bank Alfalah converted its Sheikh Bhirko branch into a 30 kW solar hybrid branch, marking the first such conversion across its network. The bank is also working with International Finance Corporation (IFC) to implement best practices in waste management, recycling, and water efficiency, reinforcing its strategy to embed sustainability across all operational levels.
