GRAD UATE HO USE N EWS
Mehak Masood
Creating linkages between economic growth and climate action in Pakistan
Mehak Masood was a resident at Graduate House in 2017 - 2018 while pursuing her Master of Environment degree at The University of Melbourne. During her stay with us, she was actively involved in the events at Graduate House. She was appointed to Membership and Marketing subcommittee in March 2018. At the 2018 AGM meeting, Mehak was presented with the Graduate House Bursary award. The aim of this award is to support the coursework studies of our Residents. Mehak has since returned to her home country, Pakistan. We are so pleased that Mehak has kept in touch with us and shares her story, featured on the Australia Award Pakistan website. The UN Women theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’, recognising the contribution of women and girls around the world who are building a more sustainable future for all by leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation and response. In honour of all the women working to make tomorrow’s world sustainable, Australia Awards is celebrating the achievements of alumna Mehak Masood. Mehak received an Australia Awards Scholarship in 2018 to complete a Master of Environment (Climate Change stream) from the University of Melbourne. Returning from Australia in January 2020, she started working as a Climate Change Technical Adviser at the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) Pakistan, where she developed the climate change portfolio. In this role, she contributed to curbing climate change in Pakistan by providing technical support to the Ministry of Climate Change to achieve its climate action goals and targets set in the Paris Agreement. 20
“My job portfolio included supporting the Ministry of Climate Change in Nationally Determined Contribution revision and ambition raising, which is an example of the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement’s goals and targets,” says Mehak. A Nationally Determined Contribution is a climate action plan to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts. Each Party to the Paris Agreement must establish a Nationally Determined Contribution and update it every five years. Mehak supported the Ministry of Climate Change and the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority to revise Pakistan’s Nationally Determined Contribution by devising policy recommendations and a framework for the technical mitigation working group. She also supported the Ministry to develop policy options for achieving permanent abatement of nitrous oxide emissions from nitric acid production in Pakistan. Mehak’s effort and support led to inputs incorporated in chapters 4 and 10 of the Government of Pakistan’s Updated Nationally Determined Contributions 2021. She has also been engaged as an environmental and social safeguard compliance expert on projects funded by the United States Agency for International Development and the World Bank. Mehak is now excited about transitioning into the corporate sector. She has taken up the position of Manager Sustainability and Climate Change in Interloop Group, a leading global textile manufacturer and exporter. She is enthusiastic about leading dynamic projects that aim to achieve Sustainable Development Goals and develop voluntary carbon markets and a sustainable traceability materials supply chain,
