KARACHI: Building on the success of the Breathe Pakistan International Climate Change Conference, DawnMedia has announced plans to convene a moot focused on tackling the issue of air pollution.

‘The Air We Breathe’ will be held at the Expo Centre in Lahore on October 11, under the umbrella of Breathe Pakistan — an initiative to combat climate change that aims to mobilise citizens to incorporate environmental sustainability in their daily lives.

Air pollution has become one of the most pressing public health and environmental crises facing Pakistan, and Lahore in particular is no stranger to this phenomenon.

Once celebrated for its gardens, the city now ranks among the most polluted in the world, with PM2.5 levels far exceeding WHO safety limits, a DawnMedia statement said.

“Other major cities — including Karachi, Faisalabad, and Peshawar — face similar challenges, driven by industrial emissions, vehicular exhaust, stubble burning, and poor enforcement of environmental regulations.”

“Vulnerable groups — children, the elderly, and low-income communities — bear the greatest burden, with devastating impacts on health, productivity, and life expectancy,” it said.

Notable speakers are expected to include Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, federal and provincial ministers, justices of the Supreme Court and Lahore High Court, senior UN officials, global health experts, economists, and corporate leaders.

The conference will spotlight actionable solutions, foster high-level dialogue, and drive collective action for cleaner air in Pakistan. Sessions will cover a broad range of themes, including governance and policy frameworks, financing clean air, smog and industrial responsibility, judicial activism, public health impacts, nationwide air quality standards, and regional cooperation on transboundary pollution.

The conference is being organised in collaboration with the United Nations and the Government of Punjab. The Pakistan Business Council will be a knowledge partner, while IPSOS, CFP, and Carbon Track will be research partners.

The initiative is also supported by leading commercial stakeholders and several other public and private organisations, including English Biscuit Manufacturers, Bank of Punjab, Environment Protection & Climate Change Department, Punjab, OMODA & JAECOO-Nishat Group and NDMRF, among others, “reflecting a strong and growing alliance across sectors to address the urgent challenges posed by steeply rising air pollution in Pakistan,” DawnMedia states.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2025