By Nida Riaz
Mobilizing youth of Pakistan has never been more urgent. When the skies opened in 2022 and historic floods devastated the country, Pakistan learned a brutal truth: climate change is no longer a distant threat. Entire villages vanished under water, millions were displaced, and damages crossed $40 billion, exposing weak infrastructure and unprepared communities.
By 2025, the situation has worsened. Temperatures have risen by over 1°C in the past decade, heatwaves in Sindh and Balochistan now cross 50°C, and cloudbursts and flash floods batter cities unequipped to handle them. In the north, glacial lakes threaten sudden outbursts that could wipe out entire settlements within minutes. Pakistan today lives on the frontline of the global climate emergency.
Amid this crisis, the youth of Pakistan is emerging as a force of resilience and hope. With over 60% of the population under 30. However, only 1% truly understands the SDGs or their role in shaping a sustainable future. This is where the Progressive Climate Foundation (PCF) steps in. Built by youth, for youth, PCF equips young people with the skills, platforms, and opportunities to influence policy, lead community action, and turn climate challenges into solutions for a safer, more resilient future.
Climate Crisis in Pakistan
Every monsoon now carries dread. In cities like Lahore & Karachi, clogged drains and poor planning turn heavy rains into deadly urban floods. In Gilgit-Baltistan, melting glaciers burst into valleys that once felt safe. Farmers in Punjab watch their crops wilt under prolonged droughts or wash away in sudden floods. Additionally, cities choke on smog, and children in rural villages fall sick from unsafe drinking water after each storm. These are not isolated events. They are interconnected symptoms of a warming planet and a fragile system.
According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan ranks consistently among the top countries most vulnerable to climate change despite of contribution even less than 1% in global carbon footprints. Here, vulnerability means more than environmental damage. It is more connected to lives lost, livelihoods destroyed, and communities left without basic services. That is why, to harness the potential of Pakistan’s 64% youth population, PCF takes responsibility for empowering and mobilizing youth.
PCF’s Vision: Mobilizing Youth as Catalysts of Change
Talk to any young Pakistani today and you’ll hear a mix of frustration and aspiration. Many feels excluded from climate and development conversations. They see decisions being made without their input, even though they will live longest with the consequences. Yet they want to contribute. They want to learn, act, and lead as their voices do matter. Most importantly, they recognize that they cannot wait for someone else to fix things as it has already been too late. They must take action themselves. Progressive Climate Foundation (PCF) is striving for mobilizing youth of Pakistan. Besides being an NGO, it is more like a school for leadership, and a community of change-makers.
Youth Empowerment and Its Impact So Far
Progressive Climate Foundation (PCF) was founded in 2020 out of the vision of Tawseef Khan who is a young climate activist hailing from Lower Dir, Malakand Division, KP. This region has severely been hit by the devastating floods. Tawseef Khan had seen firsthand how climate change is disrupting lives in his community, and he knew that local voices, especially youth, were missing from the national climate conversations and policy making. Under his leadership, PCF is on a mission to mobilize youth of through education, advocacy, and innovative climate action. So, PCF started small but quickly grew into a movement.
By September 2025, PCF has:
- Reached over 85,000+ direct beneficiaries
- Hosted 3 Climate Youth Summits
- Partnered with 10 universities and institutions
- Completed 2 batches of PCF Fellowship Program for mobilizing youth
- Built a network of 4,500+ fellows, volunteers, and ambassadors
- Planted 36,000+ trees in 2024 across 20+ districts
The organization’s commitment, therefore, received formal recognition in the form of a Certificate of Appreciation from the UN Environment Program and additionally an invitation from national forums. These achievements demonstrate that, clearly, PCF has remained successful in highlighting the fact that youth-led action can earn respect and consequently make a considerable impact.
What Sets Progressive Climate Foundation Apart?
Many organizations talk about climate change, only some make name in the space because of the initiatives they bring on board. PCF is one of those organizations that strive for achieving the most valuable goals like mobilizing young people to do something about climate change and sustainability. In fact, it aims at taking youth into service as Pakistan’s population index reveal that youth make more than half of its population. Its unique approach blends together education, community action, and policy advocacy, making sure youth is not just participant but thought leaders.
Focus Areas Aligned with Global Goals
PCF’s strategically aligns its programs with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3): Tackling climate-related health risks such as heat stroke, air pollution, and waterborne diseases by strengthening resilient health systems.
- Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6): Advocating for sustainable water management practices, improved access to clean water, and eco-friendly sanitation solutions.
- Climate Action (SDG 13): Training youth for climate advocacy, disaster risk reduction, and resilience building.
- Waste Management (SDG 17): PCF addresses waste issues through campaigns against plastic pollution and advocating for circular economy solutions, highlighting that poor waste management increases environmental degradation and public health issues.
- Climate Action and Partnerships: PCF works hand-in-hand with government agencies, universities, local communities, and international organizations, for scaling impact.
- Youth Empowerment: Beyond education, PCF cultivates leadership through mentorship, fellowships, and opportunities to engage in climate policy
The Climate Action Fellowship
Undoubtedly, one of the most impactful moves of the Progressive Climate Foundation is its Climate Action Fellowship. This flagship program equips young Pakistanis with the knowledge and skills to lead. Fellows learn about climate science, advocacy, and leadership. As a course requirement, they practice policy engagement, gain mentorship, and design solutions for their own communities. Hence, the fellowship has trained hundreds who now speak confidently at local councils, universities, and even global forums like COP28.
Education & Outreach
From the valleys of Swat to the classrooms of Islamabad, PCF organizes “Changing Minds for Climate Resilience” workshops. These sessions introduce school children and university students to climate science in accessible ways and show them how their daily actions contribute to resilience. Besides, in remote areas like Malakand Division and Kalam, PCF pairs digital outreach with in-person sessions for community training, proving that no village is too far and no audience too small to be part of climate action.
Sustainable Livelihoods & Agriculture
Recognizing that climate change hits farmers hardest, PCF runs projects that merge conservation with income generation. Initiatives like olive grafting in Kallar Kahar, Peshawar, and Kashmir offer farmers climate-resilient crops and alternative livelihoods. These projects reduce deforestation, improve land use, and give families sustainable incomes. Moreover, complementary workshops at forums like LCOY Pakistan engage over 100 youth in sustainable agriculture, food security, and water conservation training.
Conservation & Awareness Campaigns
PCF often organizes clean-up drives e.g., Margalla Hills Clean-up Drive, runs campaigns against plastic pollution e.g. “Say No to Plastic”, and leads tree plantation activities. Clearly put, these initiatives aren’t symbolic. So, they influence behavioral change, showing young people that collective small actions can lead to significant cultural shifts.
Strategic Partnerships That Multiply Impact
PCF understands that youth-led change cannot thrive in isolation. That’s why it builds partnerships at every level including:
- Ministry of Climate Change and District Youth Offices, PCF brings youth voices into national dialogues.
- UN Environment Programme, it gains global recognition while amplifying Pakistan’s youth perspective.
- Educational alliances for empowering youth with universities and schools create knowledge hubs, while collaborations with civil society organizations like Hunerkadah, Pehchan Pakistan, Global Shapers Islamabad, Rescue 1122, Barakah Aid, The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, and The Capital Development Authority Islamabad
Additionally, Directorate of Youth Affairs, and local government institutions in KPK and ICT strengthen advocacy and disaster preparedness.
Empowering Youth: Influencing Policy and Global Dialogue
Perhaps PCF’s most remarkable achievement lies in policy influence. In 2023 and 2024, PCF youth representatives joined COP negotiations, where they actively advocated for climate justice and the Loss and Damage Fund. Moreover, they demanded transparency, accountability, and just transitions for Pakistan’s vulnerable communities.
At the national level, PCF has consequently been instrumental in mobilizing youth and pushing for stronger SDG awareness, notably bridging the gap that previously left only 1% of Pakistani youth knowledgeable about the SDGs. That is why, PCF’s mission is to change that statistic—because informed and mobilized youth become engaged youth. To add more, by integrating Islamic principles of environmental stewardship into its advocacy, PCF also connects climate action with cultural and spiritual values, creating a message that resonates deeply across Pakistan.
Way Forward
The climate crisis will not slow down. Projections warn of hotter summers, more erratic monsoons, and heavier floods in Pakistan’s near future. But PCF is not slowing down either. The organization plans to:
- Expand its district-level training in vulnerable regions
- Scale up solid waste management system with youth champions as drivers of circular economy practices
- Expand its climate-resilience programs in agriculture, water conservation, and policy advocacy.
- Most importantly, it will continue to create spaces where young people do not just talk about the climate crisis, they lead the response to it.
Highlights of PCF’s climate events showcase the impact and engagement of youth across Pakistan.
How You Can Join the Movement?
If you are a young Pakistani wondering where to start, here’s how:
- Apply for the Climate Action Fellowship and gain the skills to become a leader.
- Join PCF workshops at your university or community.
- Volunteer for clean-up drives or start a local “Say No to Plastic” campaign.
- Become a PCF ambassador and help your community prepare for climate challenges.
- Advocate for inclusion of youth in local climate policy discussions in your district councils or youth offices.
And if you are an educator, policymaker, or global partner, you can collaborate with PCF as a mentor, resource person, or partner to create more platforms, fund more projects, and amplify youth voices.
Conclusion
To wrap up, the climate crisis demands urgency. The youth demand inclusion. And PCF is where both meet. Pakistan is already living the reality of climate breakdown, and every year the risks grow stronger. However, youth-led action offers a clear way forward. The Progressive Climate Foundation has shown what’s possible when young people are given the skills, the trust, and the space to lead. That is why, this organization has taken responsibility of mobilizing youth of Pakistan. It has transformed frustration into empowerment, fear into action, and isolation into community.
Nida Riaz is a Website Content Writer at Progressive Climate Foundation (PCF).
