Pakistan's Youth and the Green Transition: A Blog for International Youth Day 2023

International Youth Day is celebrated every year on August 12 to recognize the role of young people in promoting peace, development, and human rights. The theme for International Youth Day 2023 is "Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World". This theme highlights the importance of providing young people with the skills they need to contribute to a green transition.

Pakistan is the world's fifth-most-populous country and has the largest percentage of young people ever recorded in history. According to the National Human Development Report published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 64 percent of the population is below the age of 30 and 29 percent is between the ages of 15 and 29. Pakistan's youth have the potential to transform the country's future and become the engines of development.

However, Pakistan's youth also face many challenges and opportunities in their social, economic, and political spheres. Some of the challenges include lower economic status, lack of quality education, unemployment, extremism, and lack of political empowerment. 

Some of the opportunities include access to information technology, participation in civic and democratic processes, involvement in social and environmental initiatives, and exposure to global networks and platforms. One of the key opportunities for Pakistan's youth is to develop and enhance their green skills, which are "knowledge, abilities, values and attitudes needed to live in, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society."

Green skills are relevant for all sectors and occupations, but they have heightened importance for younger people, who can contribute to the green transition for a longer period of time. The green transition will result in the creation of 8.4 million jobs for young people by 2030. The government of Pakistan has launched several initiatives to promote green skills and environmental awareness among the youth. 

One of them is the Green Youth Movement (GYM), which is part of the Prime Minister's Kamyab Jawan Programme. The GYM aims to technically and financially invest in the demographic bulge of Pakistan's youth and promote research and eco-innovation to spearhead environmental conservation and climate adaptation and mitigation. Under the GYM, 2.1 million youth from across the country will be engaged to ensure green initiatives besides creating more than 65,000 jobs. 

 Another initiative is the Green Champions Programme, which is a collaboration between British Council Pakistan and School of Leadership Foundation (SoLF). The programme aims to mentor and promote young eco-inventors at the national, regional, and international levels. The programme also aims to harness global breakthroughs on eco-innovations for local solutions. The programme will involve 137 universities and 2.5 million youth for this initiative. The youth of Pakistan have also shown their enthusiasm and creativity in taking part in various green projects and campaigns at the grassroots level. 

Some examples are:

The Climate Action Now (CAN) campaign, which is a youth-led initiative that mobilizes young people to take action on climate change through awareness-raising, advocacy, and activism.

The Green Box project, which is a community-based initiative that collects organic waste from households and converts it into compost for urban gardening.  

In conclusion, Pakistan's youth have a vital role to play in the green transition that is essential for the future of the planet and humanity. They have the potential, the passion, and the creativity to make a positive difference in their society and the world. However, they also need the support, the guidance, and the opportunities to develop and enhance their green skills and to participate in the green economy. International Youth Day 2023 is an occasion to celebrate the achievements and aspirations of Pakistan's youth and to encourage them to continue their journey towards a sustainable world. Let us all join hands and support our young generation to become the green champions of tomorrow.