The British High Commission in Islamabad marked Commonwealth Day 2025 by celebrating the creative talents of young Pakistanis who took part in the UK’s Climate in My Community competition.
The competition, organized in collaboration with the British Council, invited young people aged 13 to 24 from across the country to submit artistic expressions of climate change and its impact on their communities. With over 550 entries received, the competition highlighted the urgency of youth-led climate action and the creative power of young Pakistanis in addressing the climate crisis.
Celebration of Youth-led Climate Action
The award ceremony, held at the British High Commission, brought together the winners, climate experts, and key stakeholders to celebrate the outstanding work of these young environmental advocates. The event featured an exhibition of the winning entries, offering a platform for discussions on climate change and the innovative ways in which youth are tackling the issue.
British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott CMG OBE, expressed her admiration for the creativity displayed in the competition. She stated, “I’ve been blown away by the exceptional quality of entries to this 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.”
Winners of ‘Climate in My Community’ competition
The competition recognized the work of young Pakistanis across three key categories: Climate and Innovation, Climate and Gender, and Climate in My Community. The winners, aged between 13 and 22, were celebrated for their thought-provoking contributions that explored the challenges of climate change and offered potential solutions.
The winners included Khadija Chaudary, Rahma Mudassir, Gulshan Fatima, Hayder Ali, Amaim Zia, and Roha Arshad, who impressed the judges with their diverse range of submissions, including paintings, drawings, videos, stories, and articles.
20-year-old Roha Arshad, the winner in the Climate and Innovation category, shared her personal insight into the video she created, saying, “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.”
UK’s commitment to Climate Action
The Climate in My Community competition was part of the British High Commission’s celebration of the Commonwealth Day, which is celebrated across all 56 member countries on March 10 each year. The day promoted shared values of unity, peace, and sustainability. The theme for this year, ‘Together We Thrive’, emphasizes the importance of strong, connected communities working together to overcome global challenges such as climate change.
Climate change remains a top priority for the UK government, with significant investments in global climate resilience. To date, the UK has helped 1.5 million people improve their resilience to extreme climate events and aims to support an additional 3 million people over the next four years. The UK’s innovative climate finance program, which is mobilizing over £420 million in climate investments, will largely come from the private sector and is expected to support sustainable solutions to the climate crisis worldwide.