Pakistan faces a significant threat to its economic competitiveness from tightening global environmental standards, including new trade instruments like the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Dr Musadik Masood Malik cautioned at the COP30 summit. He stressed that without accelerated investment in green skills, the nation risks being left behind as the world pivots toward a low-carbon economy.
The minister’s remarks came during his keynote address at a high-level side event, ‘Building Green Skills for a Sustainable Pakistan,’ held at the Pakistan Pavilion in Belém, Brazil, as detailed in an official press release.
Dr Malik observed that the world is undergoing an unprecedented structural transformation, with trillions of dollars being channelled into renewable energy, climate-smart infrastructure, and circular economic systems. He noted these shifts are fundamentally redefining job markets, trade standards, and national development models.
Despite its high vulnerability to climate change, Pakistan possesses considerable potential through its young population, entrepreneurial spirit, and expanding technology ecosystem. The minister highlighted a growing realization that future employment will be green and innovation-driven.
‘Developing green skills is no longer optional – it is essential for climate resilience, clean-energy transition, resource efficiency and unlocking global green investment,’ Dr Malik emphasized.
He underscored that the move to a low-carbon economy must be just and equitable, ensuring communities dependent on traditional, fossil-fuel-linked livelihoods receive support during the shift. ‘Climate action must go hand in hand with human-capital development,’ he stated.
The federal minister articulated that Pakistan’s climate policies require a capable workforce to be effective, including technicians for renewable-energy systems, engineers for resilient infrastructure, and climate-smart agriculturalists.
He urged development partners, the private sector, and international organizations to collaborate with Pakistan to expand climate-related education, vocational training, and access to technology, stating, “Investing in people is central to long-term climate ambition and economic modernization.”
The session, moderated by Syed Bulent Sohail of Sohail University, gathered policymakers, researchers, and technical experts to address the widening global green-skills gap.
Tátilla Pamplona, State Attorney of Pará, advocated for legislative frameworks that embed justice and labour safeguards within the energy transition. Paola Ridolfi, a World Bank Climate Change Adviser, confirmed the availability of institutional support but warned that global climate goals are unattainable without systematic workforce training.
Craig Hanson from the World Resources Institute pointed out that the demand for climate-skilled workers is projected to nearly double by 2050, a pace current training programs cannot match. Similarly, GIZ Programme Director Nadja Emmanuel called for targeted technical training and university-industry partnerships aligned with green sector hiring needs.
The event also showcased Pakistani innovators developing cutting-edge solutions, including exascale climate-risk modelling and AI-driven agricultural pest control.
Pakistan has initiated programs to address the skills deficit, such as the UNICEF-Muslim World League Green Skills Training Programme, which focuses on equipping disadvantaged youth, particularly girls, with climate and digital competencies.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening partnerships and proposed collaborative efforts such as expanding the Green Tech Hub, integrating green skills into national curricula, and potentially establishing a ‘Green University.’
Participants concluded that investing in human capital is vital not only for climate adaptation but also for generating quality jobs, fostering innovation, and building a resilient and sustainable nation.