ISLAMABAD, Oct 26 (APP):Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr. Musadik Malik on Monday said Pakistan must move beyond conventional training workshops and fragmented initiatives towards an innovation-driven approach that links scientific research, practical skills, entrepreneurship and investment.
Addressing the concluding event of the Green Skills Development Initiative as a chief guest, he said progress should be assessed by the skills actually acquired and applied, rather than by the number of workshops, meetings and coordination activities held, said a press release.
He called for clearly defined green skills, recognised certifications, international university partnerships and structured research opportunities for Pakistani graduates. He also advocated direct investment in young researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs, referring to a proposed $10 million fund for innovation.
The minister said Pakistan needs an integrated ecosystem in which universities, research institutions, industry and investors work together to turn scientific knowledge into practical technologies and viable green businesses.
NAVTTC Chairman Engr Qamar ul Islam Raja said the commission deals with over 200 trades, of which more than 12 relate to green skills. He said the focus should be on action rather than rhetoric, and that NAVTTC would work to implement the experts’ recommendations.
SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri said the discussion was timely, coming two weeks before COP31. He said green skills were relevant to Pakistan for job creation and livelihoods, citing the demand for new skills created by electric vehicles, solar panels and battery maintenance.
He said there was no formal green skills programme in the country, though people were acquiring such skills informally, from solarisation to e-bikes. He said GIZ and SDPI had undertaken the mapping of opportunities and of how government policy could mobilise them.
Dr Suleri said the federal government would frame enabling policy, while organisations such as NAVTTC would have to roll it out and ensure post-project sustainability, as external support should be limited to kick-starting initiatives. He also announced that SDPI’s 29th Sustainable Development Conference would be held from Nov 2 to 5 on the theme “Rethinking Development in an Age of Disruption”, with around 300 speakers from 18 countries.
Presenting the study, Dr Safdar Sohail, Governance expert, said climate transition could generate a large number of jobs over the next decade in energy, construction, manufacturing and agriculture, and that governance inefficiencies must not block this opportunity.
Dr Sohail recommended the establishment of a National Green Skills Development Council as an empowered, top-level steering body to mobilise financing, close policy-coordination gaps, integrate the strategies of different agencies and periodically review results. He proposed that the council support federal and provincial governments in developing a five-year Green Jobs and Skills Development, Financing and Monitoring Framework under Uraan.
Dr Shabana Haider, Member Population, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, stressed an accountability framework based on outcomes rather than the number of meetings or workshops held. She also called for a single government-led performance framework for donor support, and suggested starting with a few sectors such as climate-smart agriculture.
Mr Jamal S. Malik, Policy Consultant, Special Investment Facilitation Council, said a national council should serve as a coordination layer over existing structures rather than add a new body.
Dr Aliya Khan, Senior Labour Market Expert, stressed a labour market information system, aligning climate action with workforce readiness, and inclusion of youth, women and marginalised groups.
Mr Akbar Hussain, Lead, Digital & Green Programme, Punjab Skills Development Fund, pointed to gaps in curricula and content for green trades, and said skills planning should precede investment.
Dr Muhammad Ali Nasir, Advisor, Research & Innovation Division, Higher Education Commission, called for a national programme under one umbrella to streamline green research and innovation.
Dr Farhan Saeed, Professor of Polymer and Process Engineering, UET Lahore, joining online, cited an industry-academia consortium on plastics recycling as a model for innovation without government funding.
Ms Huma Ruqaya Safdar, Ministry of Industries and Production, supported a single council and said the lack of awareness and data on skills needs, including for electric vehicles and mining, must be addressed.
Mr Wolfgang Hesse, Cluster Coordinator Energy, Climate Change & Just Transition, GIZ, said Pakistan, as a champion country on green skills, had been visible on the topic at COP30, where a flagship report including Pakistan’s labour market information was launched. He said the initiative aimed to help Pakistan present a coordinated position at COP31 and that the event marked the final part of the project.
Dr Razia Safdar, Project Coordinator, SDPI said skills must be deployed as well as developed, with a balance between supply and demand and attention to curriculum quality. She said the initiative had provided insights into the labour market and institutional governance, and that the work aimed to help policymakers and implementers connect existing efforts to make Pakistan resilient to climate change. She added that such skills could also be exported. She thanked the NAVTTC chairman, participants, GIZ and SDPI.