Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Dr Musadik Malik on Friday urged greater international and domestic investment in green skills development, warning that Pakistan must build a climate-ready workforce to remain economically competitive as global markets adopt stricter environmental standards.
Speaking at a high-level side event titled “Building Green Skills for a Sustainable Pakistan” at the Pakistan Pavilion during COP30 in Belém, the minister said global economies are undergoing major structural shifts, with trillions of dollars moving into renewable energy, climate-resilient infrastructure, battery technology, green transport and circular economic systems.
Despite Pakistan’s high climate vulnerability, Dr Malik said the country holds significant potential due to its young population, expanding tech ecosystem and growing recognition that the future of employment will be shaped by low-carbon growth. “Developing green skills is essential for resilience, economic modernization and access to global green investment,” he said.
The minister cautioned that new trade requirements — including the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) — are pressuring countries to decarbonise supply chains. Without timely reskilling, he said, developing economies risk losing market access as environmental compliance becomes more stringent.
Dr Malik emphasised that the green transition must be fair, ensuring that workers dependent on traditional and fossil-fuel-linked livelihoods are supported rather than displaced. He noted that while Pakistan has integrated climate policies into national frameworks, implementation requires technicians, engineers, climate-smart farmers and innovators trained in emerging climate technologies.
He called on development partners, multilateral banks, international organisations and private-sector firms to work with Pakistan to expand climate-relevant education, vocational training and technology access. “Investing in people is key to long-term climate ambition,” he said.
The event gathered policymakers, researchers, technical experts and multilateral institutions to discuss how developing nations can address the growing gap in climate-relevant skills. Speakers highlighted the need for updated governance frameworks, stronger social protections, and large-scale vocational and university-linked programmes aligned with green-sector hiring needs.
Participants included Tátilla Pamplona of the OAB Commission at COP30, World Bank climate adviser Paola Ridolfi, World Resources Institute Managing Director Craig Hanson and GIZ Programme Director Nadja Emmanuel. They warned that the global demand for climate-skilled workers will nearly double by 2050, while current training pipelines are expanding too slowly.
Pakistani innovators also showcased work in climate technologies such as exascale climate-risk modelling, AI-based pest control and geospatial early-warning systems.
Pakistan outlined recent efforts to close the green-skills gap, including the UNICEF–Muslim World League Green Skills Training Programme launched in 2025 to train thousands of youth — particularly girls — in climate and digital skills.
The ministry reaffirmed plans to expand the Green Tech Hub, integrate green-skills training into education systems and explore establishing a “Green University” as a national centre of excellence. Participants concluded that investment in people is central to climate adaptation, job creation, innovation and long-term economic resilience.
