At the Commonwealth Asia Youth Alliance (CAYA) Summit 2025, 20 young leaders were honored with the prestigious ‘Climate Champions Award’ for their exceptional contributions to combating climate change and promoting sustainability in their communities.
Additionally, eight young leaders received the ‘Youth Excellence Awards’ for groundbreaking work in fields like education, renewable energy, water conservation, and environmental sustainability.
The award ceremony, held in Islamabad on January 28, 2025, highlighted the transformative impact of youth-led initiatives, with each honoree recognized for their dedication and innovative solutions to pressing global challenges.
The awards were presented at CAYA Summit 2025, which took place from January 27-30. The summit brought together Youth Ministers from over 13 countries, alongside foreign delegates, to focus on youth empowerment, education, and skills development.
Young Climate leaders
The young climate leaders from diverse regions across Pakistan were celebrated for their proactive approach to creating a more sustainable and resilient future. Their efforts ranged from renewable energy projects and water conservation to climate education and solid waste management, showcasing the wide range of issues being addressed by the next generation of changemakers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the awardees, emphasizing their role in shaping a brighter, more sustainable future for Pakistan. He commended the youth for their resilience, creativity, and unwavering commitment to addressing climate change and environmental issues.
The event underscored the growing importance of youth leadership in addressing global challenges, while also reinforcing Pakistan’s commitment to fostering innovation, environmental stewardship, and community-driven solutions. The recognition of these young leaders serves as a reminder of the transformative power of youth-led initiatives and their potential to create meaningful change in their communities and beyond.
Winners
Pakistan’s largest volunteer network, ‘MilKar,’ won the Youth Excellence Award at the CAYA Summit 2025 in Islamabad for its impactful work in connecting volunteers and organizations to foster community development. This marks another significant achievement for MilKar, which has previously received national and global accolades, including the Commonwealth Innovation Award and P@SHA’s “Best Community Service” Gold Award.
The winners at the CAYA Summit 2025 were:
Climate Champions Award Winners:
- Nizam ud Din (Quetta) – Climate education and tree plantation projects
- Rubina Bibi (Quetta) – Climate education and tree plantation projects
- Saim Abbas Sahto (Sindh) – Renewable energy and climate education
- Alia Ali Murad (Sindh) – Renewable energy and climate education
- Mahnoor Fatima (Sukkur) – Water conservation
- Abdul Basit (Sukkur) – Water conservation and solid waste management
- Sahiba (Thatta) – Solid waste management and plantation drives
- Tanveer Alam (Sanghar) – Solid waste management and plantation drives
- Sheraz Ahmad (Mardan) – Forestry initiatives
Youth Excellence Award Winners:
- Suhaib Hassan (Danish School) – Academic excellence in matriculation and Intermediate
- Zeeshan Shahid – Inventor of an airbag vest for bikers (National Innovation Award)
- Areeba Aamir – Skilled embroidery designer at Sapphire Retail Ltd through the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund scholarship
- Haleema Sadia – Developed a Blood Donation Management System (PM’s Laptop Scheme)
- Ali Saif and Syed Kashf (MilKar)– Founder of Pakistan’s largest volunteer network; initiatives include planting 100,000 trees and organizing free medical camps
- Faris Ahmed – Climate advocate, co-author of a bill for climate refugee protection
- Aatirah Amir (COMSATS University) – Sar Sabz Qadam project, generating electricity from pedestrian energy
- Muhammad Sohail Adnan – World No. 1 in U13 squash, gold medalist in the Asian Junior Championship