Climate change is not a distant agenda for young people; it is their present reality and their future responsibility.  With this understanding, PPAF conceived the “Voices Organised for Climate Action through Leadership of Youth” project to place young people, from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, to Gilgit-Baltistan, at the centre of climate governance.

Using an experiential mock Conference of Parties (COP) model, youth assumed the roles of negotiators and stakeholders, closely mirroring the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP processes. Delivered with youth and climate networks, universities, and civil society partners, these simulations equipped 1,000 young people, over 50% girls, including 30 people with disabilities, with the knowledge, skills, and platforms to engage in climate policy and local action.

Each province and region reflected its unique vulnerabilities.  In Peshawar, youth focused on climate risk governance, resilient development planning, and youth participation in provincial policy conversations. In Lahore, participants addressed smog, urban heat, and climate-smart planning. In Gilgit, youth negotiated solutions around Glacial Lake Outburst Floods and mountain resilience. In Karachi, coastal erosion adaptation and loss-and-damage took center stage. In Quetta, youth tackled water scarcity, drought, and governance inclusion.

Interactive exercises, including stakeholder mapping, problem tree analysis, negotiation drills, and group drafting workshops, strengthened youth capacity in diplomacy, advocacy, and policy literacy. Participants translated technical discussions into clear, policy-ready demands making the Youth COP simulation first of its kind in the country. Each simulation culminated in a provincial Statement of Demands, formally presented to provincial authorities as a step toward public accountability. These provincial voices were then consolidated into a national unified youth statement, presented to Dr. Shaista Jadoon, MNA and Member of the Standing Committee on Climate Change.

The initiative has given youth of Pakistan the platform to think, negotiate, and lead, just as they will in the global climate forums of tomorrow.

Media Coverage Report