British High Commission celebrates climate storytellers

Islamabad : Winners of the UK’s ‘Climate in My Community’ competition showcased their creative talents through art, film, and storytelling at the British High Commission here on Friday to celebrate Commonwealth Day 2025.

Young Pakistanis from across the country, aged between 13 and 24 were invited to submit pieces of art that represented what climate change means to them, how it is impacting their communities and the steps they are taking to address it. The competition, organised in collaboration with the British Council, had got a strong response receiving over 550 entries. To mark the occasion, the British High Commission hosted an award ceremony, bringing together the winners, climate experts, and key stakeholders.

The event featured an exhibition of the winning entries and offered opportunities to discuss youth-led climate action. British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott CMG OBE, said she had been blown away by the exceptional quality of entries to the competition, creatively bringing to life the threat from and solutions to climate change. "Pakistan’s young people are full of creativity and energy, and this competition has shown how powerful their voices can be in shaping the climate conversation. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who took part.”

20-year-old Roha Arshad, winner in the Climate and Innovation category, said: "It's easy to hope that some miracle technology will come around and save our planet. But it’s down to us. It’s our responsibility to think about our own actions. And use the miracle we already have: nature. That’s what my video is all about. Using what’s around us to heal the planet.”

The winners, Khadija Chaudary, Rahma Mudassir, Gulshan Fatima, Hayder Ali, Amaim Zia and Roha Arshad are between 13 and 22 years old. Their paintings, drawings, videos, stories and articles were recognised across 3 categories: climate and innovation, climate and gender, and climate in my community. They were celebrated for their creative storytelling on climate challenges and solutions. Commonwealth Day will be celebrated across 56 member countries on 10 March, reflecting shared values of unity, peace, and sustainability. This year’s theme, ‘Together We Thrive’, highlights the importance of strong, connected communities working together to address global challenges.

Climate change is a key priority for the UK. The UK has helped 1.5 million people improve their resilience to extreme climate events, and aims to support a further 3 million people over the next 4 years. The UK’s innovative climate finance programme is set to mobilise over £420 million in climate investments, mostly from the private sector.