ISLAMABAD: Chairperson Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Senator Sherry Rehman issued a resounding call to action at the Progressive Climate Foundation’s (PCF) Climate Youth Summit 2025, urging Pakistan’s youth to rise as “force multipliers for climate action” in a nation confronting one of the world’s most dire climate emergencies.
Addressing a gathering of youth leaders, climate experts, academics, and civil society partners here Wednesday, Senator Sherry Rehman stressed the urgency of the climate crisis. “This is a life-changing emergency, and the message is immediate. The house is on fire. And if we don’t act together—starting with the youth—it will burn down everything we hold dear.”
With 65pc of Pakistan’s population under the age of 30, Senator Sherry Rehman emphasised that no climate strategy can succeed without youth at its core. She said, according to a UNICEF 2021 report, 73pc of young Pakistanis cannot explain what climate change is—the highest rate in South Asia. 83pc want to act, but lack institutional support, and 16pc have never studied climate change in school. Senator Rehman called this a dangerous knowledge deficit.
Shedding light on the catastrophic effects of climate breakdown in Pakistan, Sherry underscored that Pakistan has recorded 53°C summers in three different cities over the last three years, and in April 2025 alone, temperatures soared to 50°C across parts of Sindh and Balochistan. The senator also noted that 128,000 Pakistanis die annually from air pollution, while two million children have been impacted by climate-induced disasters, losing 97 school days—over 54pc of the academic year. “Every single province in Pakistan is now a climate frontline. From the GLOFs in the north, to parched lands in Balochistan, to the water scarcity in the Indus Delta—this is not a theoretical discussion. Senator Sherry applauded youth-led start-ups, university initiatives, and grassroots campaigns across the country. She urged more structured support from institutions and the state. “You are not just protesting or posting. You are innovating, building, and creating. Whether it’s in water conservation, plastic reduction, or sustainable agriculture, you are already practising what others only preach. You must be supported, scaled, and celebrated.”
Highlighting hopeful initiatives, Sherry Rehman commended the Sindh People’s Housing for Flood Affectees (SPHF), under which 800,000 of the two million homes planned are reserved for women, giving them land rights and climate-resilient housing. She also cited the Delta Blue Carbon (DBC) mangrove restoration project, which is equipping 6,000 women with training in sustainable natural resource management. “These are stories of resilience, where 72pc of women in Pakistan spend up to nine hours a day collecting water in rural Pakistan—are being given the dignity of land, training, and sustainable employment.”
The senator also addressed plastic pollution as a systemic threat, revealing that only 9pc of plastic globally is recycled and only 1pc recycled in Pakistan, and the rest becomes “forever chemicals—microplastics, nanoplastics, carcinogens. “Plastic is not just a waste issue; it’s a health crisis.” She noted that the Senate and several government institutions have banned plastic bottles and are reducing plastic use in official meetings.”
On climate diplomacy, Senator Rehman underscored the rising regional tensions: “We are unable to engage in climate diplomacy due to war-mongering by India, though we should have been speaking about cooperation. The Indus Waters Treaty should not have been suspended by India unilaterally. In the 21st century, food, water, and air must not be weaponised.”
Senator Sherry Rehman concluded with a call to action: “Young Pakistanis must become custodians of the global commons. You are the agents of change. If you protect this planet, it will give back. But if you stay on the sidelines, the crisis will only deepen. We need action—not just dialogue.”