Islamabad: Members of local andinternational legal fraternity and judiciary on Saturday called upon the legal communityto lead climate action through proactive mediation and education.The call was made at roundtable, titled, "Bridging theClimate Gap: Mediation and Climate Conscious Lawyering", organized by SustainableDevelopment Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with the Islamabad HighCourt Bar Association (IHCBA) here. Justice Jawad Hassan from the Lahore High Court, in hiskeynote address, highlighted Pakistan's pioneering role in climate litigation,referencing how Pakistani courts have shaped a credible climate jurisprudencerecognized internationally. "Pakistan is the first country to deliverjudgments mandating climate mitigation and mediation," he said, citing the26th Constitutional Amendment's acknowledgment of climate rights.Justice Hassan stressed the need to enhance public awarenessand sensitize legal fraternity topenalize any of the party failing to comply with the direction to undergomediation for a peaceful and less adversarial dispensation of justice. Opening the session, SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid QaiyumSuleri highlighted SDPI's long-standing commitment to public rights advocacyand its critical collaboration with Pakistan's judiciary and legal fraternity.He stressed the need for a robust nexus between bar and bench, and research think tanks to address the escalatingchallenges posed by climate change. "Natural calamities cannot be stopped,but with the right policies and practices, we can mitigate their worstimpacts," Dr Suleri noted, adding that in an era of rapid information flowand Artificial Intelligence, the judiciary's role needs a timely redefinition.Romina Khurshid Alam, Prime Minister's Coordinator onClimate Change, emphasized the critical role of climate awareness and educationfor legal fraternity. She said: "Climate change knows no borders - it is auniversal crisis which is impacting all nations, communities, and sectors. Inthis battle, the role of lawyers and the judiciary is pivo tal.' She furthersaid educating legal professionals on climate science, environmental laws, andsustainable practices is the need of hour, if we are to build a future-readyjustice system. 'Mediation must be recognized as a powerful tool in this regardand not as a secondary option but as a frontline method for resolving complexenvironmental disputes efficiently and equitably,' she maintained.She praised the efforts of organizations like InternationalBar Association (IBA) and SDPI for driving forward climate education andemphasized that Pakistan must take proactive steps to integrateclimate-conscious mediation into its legal processes.The event, moderated by Barrister Sarah Kazmi from the InternationalBar Council, brought together notable judges, legal experts, and policymakers.Speaking online from Australia, Emily Morrison from the InternationalBar Association (IBA) also called upon global legal practitioners to engagemeaningfully with climate issues ahead of COP 30. "Lawyers environmentaleducation is the key t o combat the issue in courts," she said.The panel discussion, featuring experts like Dr PulwashaAyaz Khan, Omar Soomro, and Syed Bulent Sohail, shed light on regionalchallenges. Dr Khan pointed out the environmental vulnerabilities in KhyberPakhtunkhwa, highlighting the urgent need for a coordinated national climateaction plan. Omar Soomro, former Law Minister of Sindh, highlighted theimportance of legislative reforms to mainstream mediation, particularly incomplex environmental disputes.Syed Bulent Sohail said that amid growing climate awareness,the bar councils must assume leadership roles, and the courses offered byglobal institutions like Oxford University can equip lawyers with essentialclimate knowledge.Justice Sufiyan Rana and Judge Ghazan Mahmood fromthe England and Wales judiciary provided comparative insights, noting thatwhile mediation is mandatory in the UK courts post-Woolf reforms, Pakistanicourts are rapidly adapting, with over 15 significant judgments promotingmandatory mediation in the last y ear alone. Justice Rana emphasized thatmediation not only reduces litigation burdens but also fosters communal harmonyby blending indigenous practices with formal legal systems.President of IHCBA Syed Wajid Ali Gillani lauded thediscussions, saying: "We have opened the door for collaboration, and nowits tine to act as to how the legal profession can serve as a force forenvironmental justice."Justice(r) Mushir Alam, Supreme Court of Pakistan, recalled the pioneering establishment of Pakistan's first AlternateDispute Resolution (ADR) Center in Karachi in 2007, highlighting the importanceof educating lawyers in mediation to build a resilient legal framework forfuture climate challenges.