Pakistani Youth Shine in Art for Earth Climate Contest

News Desk

Islamabad: The British High Commission marked Commonwealth Day 2025 with a special ceremony celebrating young climate storytellers, showcasing their creative expressions on climate change through art, film, and storytelling.

The event honored winners of the Art for Earth competition, a nationwide initiative organized in collaboration with the British Council. Open to Pakistanis aged 13 to 24, the competition received over 550 submissions, highlighting the impact of climate change and innovative solutions from a youth perspective.

A prestigious award ceremony featured an exhibition of the winning entries and discussions on youth-led climate action. Speaking at the event, British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Dr. Jane Marriott CMG OBE, lauded the participants’ creativity:

“I have been truly inspired by the extraordinary creativity of these young individuals. They have highlighted the urgency of climate action in the most innovative ways. Pakistan’s youth are full of energy and ideas, and this competition has shown how powerful their voices can be in shaping the climate conversation.”

One of the winners, 20-year-old Rooha Arshad, who excelled in the Climate and Innovation category, emphasized the role of individual action:

“It’s easy to hope that new technology will save the planet, but it’s really up to us. We must recognize our responsibility and use the natural resources we already have to tackle the climate crisis.”

The competition recognized six outstanding young creatives: Khadija Chaudhry, Rahma Muddassir, Gulshan Fatima, Haider Ali, Umaima Zia, and Rooha Arshad, in three categories—Climate and Innovation, Climate and Gender, and Climate in My Community.

Commonwealth Day, observed on March 10 across 56 member states, promotes shared values of unity, sustainability, and peace. This year’s theme, “Together We Thrive,” underscores the need for global cooperation in tackling environmental and social challenges.

The UK remains committed to climate action in Pakistan, having already helped 1.5 million people enhance their resilience to climate disasters. Over the next four years, the British government aims to support an additional 3 million people through its Innovative Climate Finance Programme, which is set to mobilize £420 million in climate investments, primarily from the private sector.

The event reaffirmed the UK’s dedication to fostering climate awareness and youth engagement, highlighting the power of young voices in shaping a sustainable future.