Islamabad High Court Bar Association building, Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
Islamabad High Court Bar Association

Shaping Pakistan's climate-conscious legal future.

The Climate Change Committee of the IHCBA advances climate literacy, sustainability and environmental justice across the legal profession — and proudly represents Pakistan on the global stage.

Discover Our Purpose Meet the Committee
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Dear All:

I welcome you all to the newly launched website of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association's Climate Change Committee.

Our mission is simple: To equip legal professionals with the tools, knowledge, and network needed to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of climate law and drive meaningful environmental policy. And to translate executive policy into actionable legal frameworks, championing environmental rule of law within the Islamabad Capital Territory and across the federation!

— Zain Ali  Chairperson

Our Purpose

A profession that answers the climate crisis.

The Committee was inspired by the International Bar Association's Climate Registry — a global platform through which bar associations, law societies and similar bodies share the steps they are taking to address climate change and support the transition to net zero, both in their own operations and through their engagement with member lawyers and firms.

Inspired by this global initiative, the IHCBA is committed to advancing climate literacy across Pakistan's legal profession.

Our key objectives include educating legal practitioners on the multifaceted legal implications of climate change, exploring innovative legal solutions, and fostering collaboration with organisations devoted to strengthening climate literacy across the legal community.

Islamabad High Court Bar Association headquarters
11commitments guiding our climate mandate

Educate

Equipping lawyers with the climate literacy to navigate environmental law, sustainability and climate justice with confidence.

Innovate

Exploring forward-thinking legal solutions to the complex challenges posed by a changing climate.

Collaborate

Building partnerships with government, academia, NGOs and international bodies to drive effective climate action.

Terms of Reference

Our mission, in eleven commitments.

The mandate of the Climate Change Committee of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association.

The Committee

The advocates leading the way.

Nominated by the President of the IHCBA to increase climate literacy within the legal community, share knowledge and inspire initiatives in sustainability, the environment and the climate crisis.

Portrait of Zain Ali, Chairperson of the IHCBA Climate Change Committee Chairperson

Zain Ali

Advocate, High Court

A committed advocate for environmental justice, Zain Ali chairs the Climate Change Committee — leading the Association's agenda to embed climate literacy and environmental responsibility within the legal community, protect natural resources, hold polluters to account, and advance Pakistan's climate commitments through the courts. His climate related engagement include participations in the following: Bridging the Climate Gap: Mediation and Climate Conscious Lawyering 2025 by SDPI and IHBA. From Planning to Practise: Advancing Climate Resilience in Pakistan Workshop 2025 by World Bank CIICA 10th Anniversary Conference on Climate Change and International 2025 Understanding the Climate Change and Health Nexus in Pakistan 2024.

Portrait of Syed Jawad Hassan, Co-Chairperson of the IHCBA Climate Change Committee Co-Chairperson

Syed Jawad Hassan

Advocate, High Court

Driven by a first-hand understanding of how climate change threatens food security, water and rural livelihoods, Syed Jawad Hassan advances sustainable, environmentally responsible change as Co-Chairperson. An agricultural entrepreneur exploring clean and efficient technologies on the land, he is also a licensed attorney with over seven years of experience across civil, family, property, criminal and rent law, and a former Union Council Chairman dedicated to empowering young people at the grassroots.

Portrait of Nadia Aslam, Member of the IHCBA Climate Change Committee Member

Nadia Aslam

Advocate, High Court

Nadia Aslam brings a deep personal commitment to environmental protection and animal welfare to the Committee, championing the duty of businesses to operate sustainably and within sound environmental regulation. An Advocate of the High Court, her practice spans civil, rent, family and banking law, alongside SECP company incorporation and corporate compliance — experience she draws on to strengthen the Bar's environmental and corporate-responsibility agenda.

Portrait of Adam Jabbar, Member of the IHCBA Climate Change Committee Member

Adam Jabbar

Advocate, High Court

Adam Jabbar explores how artificial intelligence and emerging technology can be harnessed for climate action — from analysing environmental regulation and modelling climate risk to accelerating the research, drafting and knowledge-sharing that underpins the Committee's work, strengthening climate literacy across the profession. A technology lawyer and Advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan, he advises SaaS companies, startups and digital platforms internationally and is an Amazon best-selling author on legal technology.

Portrait of Sarah Kazmi, Committee Advisor, IHCBA Climate Change Committee Committee Advisor

Sarah Kazmi

Legal Advisor & Trainer | Energy, ESG & Climate Governance

Sarah Kazmi is a legal advisor and trainer in energy, ESG, regulatory compliance and climate governance, with over 17 years of experience. She served as Co-Chair of the Climate Change Committee of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association in 2024–25 and is committed to promoting climate-conscious lawyering and strengthening climate literacy within the legal profession.

Her climate-related engagements include organizing and moderating the IHCBA–SDPI event on Climate Conscious Lawyering and Mediation in 2025; speaking at the International Bar Association Roundtable on Bar Association and Law Society Climate Initiatives in 2025; moderating the CIICA 10th Anniversary Climate Change and Arbitration Panel in 2025; participating as a panellist at Pakistan Water Week 2023 on the climate–migration nexus; and speaking at ESG summits and symposiums in 2025 and 2026.

Why this platform

A digital home for climate action in law.

This platform exists to give the Committee's work a permanent, visible presence — domestically and internationally. It is where our mission, our people and our progress live.

It allows us to share knowledge, document our engagement with the IBA Climate Registry, and invite lawyers, students, institutions and partners to engage with the climate agenda of the Bar.

What you'll find here

A growing resource built around transparency, education and collaboration.

  • Our purpose, mission and Terms of Reference
  • The advocates serving on the Committee
  • Our engagement with the IBA Climate Registry
  • Opportunities to collaborate and contribute
Get Involved

Join the movement for climate law.

Are you a lawyer, researcher, student or institution interested in climate law, environmental policy or sustainability? We welcome collaboration, research partnerships and new members to the Committee.

Whether you want to contribute research, join our working groups, or simply stay informed, reach out to us. Together we can strengthen climate literacy within Pakistan's legal profession.

contact@climatechangeihcba.com

Ways to engage

There are many ways to be part of this initiative.

  • Join as a research or advisory contributor
  • Participate in our events and roundtables
  • Collaborate on policy submissions and briefs
  • Share resources and climate law developments

Email us at contact@climatechangeihcba.com

In the Field

Pakistan ESG Policy Symposium 2026

On Tuesday, 19th May 2026, lawyers of the IHCBA attended the Pakistan ESG Policy Symposium 2026, organized by the Global Peace Summit at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad. The theme was 'Advancing sustainable, responsible and inclusive growth in Pakistan'.

Chairperson of the Committee, Mr. Zain Ali, alongside Barrister Sarah H. Kazmi, Advisory Member, attended the event. Barrister Sarah Kazmi also moderated an important panel discussion titled 'Bridging the ESG Gap during Crises: From Reporting to Real Economic and Climate Impact'.

This was an important opportunity for lawyers to engage with ESG as an emerging area of legal practice and to build capacity around climate-conscious lawyering.

IHCBA members at Pakistan ESG Policy Symposium 2026, Marriott Islamabad — Zain Ali and Sarah Kazmi receiving recognition Barrister Sarah Kazmi with colleague at Pakistan ESG Policy Symposium 2026