ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is positioning climate education and youth engagement as central pillars of its climate strategy, with officials arguing that informed citizens, responsible media, and young leaders are essential to building resilience in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries.
On the world International Education Day, Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination reaffirmed its commitment to placing climate education, communication, and youth-led advocacy at the centre of national climate policy, describing education as a key driver of resilience, sustainable development, and social transformation.
International Education Day, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018, recognises education as a fundamental human right and a shared global responsibility. For climate-vulnerable countries such as Pakistan, the observance carries particular urgency as climate shocks increasingly intersect with development pressures, inequality, and governance challenges.
This year’s theme, “The power of youth in co-creating education,” highlights young people as active partners in shaping education systems amid rapid technological, social, and environmental change. With people under 30 making up more than half of the global population, the theme underscores youth as direct stakeholders in policies that will shape future livelihoods, climate resilience, and economic stability.
Speaking on the occasion, Mohammad Saleem Shaikh, Climate Change Education, Communication and Advocacy Outreach Specialist and senior media spokesperson at the ministry, said the government views climate education as a strategic investment rather than a standalone intervention.
“Education is the backbone of Pakistan’s climate response,” Shaikh said. “Climate literacy empowers citizens, especially young people and the media, to understand risks, adopt sustainable behaviours and contribute meaningfully to mitigation and adaptation. Without informed and engaged people, climate policy cannot succeed.”
He emphasised the role of the media in translating climate science and policy into public understanding, noting that sustained, responsible reporting helps counter misinformation, keeps climate risks visible beyond disaster events, and promotes practical solutions at community and institutional levels.
Pakistan remains among the countries most exposed to extreme weather events, including floods, heatwaves, droughts and glacial lake outburst floods. In this context, the integration of climate education, awareness, and advocacy into both formal and informal learning systems has emerged as a core policy priority.
Shaikh said young people are not merely beneficiaries of climate education but partners in its design and delivery. “Our youth are innovators and community mobilisers. By involving them in education planning and climate communication, we are strengthening local ownership of climate action and ensuring solutions are inclusive and context-driven,” he said.
The focus aligns with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Action for Climate Empowerment initiative, which promotes climate education, public awareness, training, and access to information. UN climate officials have repeatedly stressed that climate action is more effective when all generations participate meaningfully.
Pakistan’s National Climate Change Policy places strong emphasis on public education and outreach to build awareness of climate risks and protect natural resources, including water, forests, and biodiversity. The government is working with stakeholders to integrate climate education across all levels of formal schooling, alongside targeted awareness on pollution, ecosystem degradation, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable consumption.
Marking the day, the ministry said empowering youth through inclusive, climate-responsive education — supported by sustained media engagement — is no longer optional but a national necessity, as Pakistan seeks to transform climate vulnerability into long-term resilience.
