Summary Information Minister Attaullah Tarar urged making climate change a mainstream public issue, calling for stronger media, education and social awareness to tackle the growing threat.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Thursday called for a cultural shift in society to make climate change a mainstream public issue, saying discussions on environmental challenges should receive the same attention on social media as viral and controversial content.
Addressing the International Conference on Green Journalism, Media, Climate and Social Responsibility, organised by FUUAST in collaboration with OIC COMSTECH, the minister said climate change remained one of the most serious challenges facing humanity and that awareness was the first and most essential step towards addressing it.
Paying tribute to COMSTECH and the organisers of the conference, Tarar said the event had been held at a crucial time and reflected an understanding of the importance of climate awareness and green journalism.
“It all starts with awareness,” he said, adding that without awareness, societies could neither meet the challenge of climate change nor take precautionary measures and create the enabling environment required to combat it.
Describing climate change as an existential threat to humanity, the minister referred to World Health Organization estimates and said that between 2030 and 2050 climate change could result in 250,000 deaths annually.
He noted that Pakistan contributed less than one per cent of global carbon emissions but remained among the countries most severely affected by climate-related disasters.
“It is time that when we talk about climate change, we must talk about climate justice,” he said, arguing that countries with greater contributions to fossil fuel combustion and carbon emissions bore a larger responsibility towards nations contributing less to the problem.
Recalling the devastating floods of 2022, Tarar said widespread destruction had been witnessed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh, while the country had also experienced the massive flooding of the Indus River in 2010.
“Every few years lives are lost, livelihoods are lost, and people suffer, and due to no fault of their own,” he remarked.
The minister said awareness campaigns must be tailored to different communities and regions, noting that climate communication could not follow a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
Referring to Article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, he said member states were obligated not only to raise awareness but also to incorporate climate change into educational programmes and curricula at national, regional and sub-regional levels.
Tarar stressed the need to communicate climate-related messages in different languages and through multiple modes of communication to reach people from all segments of society.
He also linked environmental stewardship with Islamic teachings, saying Islam had highlighted the importance of protecting the environment 1,400 years ago.
Quoting a verse from the Holy Quran regarding the sky as a protective ceiling, he said the message underscored humanity’s responsibility not to ignore the signs and consequences of environmental degradation.
The minister also cited sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) encouraging tree plantation and environmental responsibility.
He said planting a tree was regarded as a continuing charity and referred to a tradition urging believers to plant a sapling even if the Day of Judgment were imminent.
“These traditions are most relevant even today,” he said, adding that such teachings should be communicated widely to instill a sense of responsibility regarding climate change.
Tarar warned that deforestation, melting glaciers, rising sea and river levels and increasingly extreme weather conditions were causing destruction and contributing to health problems, including respiratory illnesses.
He said people living along rivers and tributaries remained particularly vulnerable to climate-related disasters and emphasised that every citizen, young or old, had a responsibility to contribute towards climate awareness.
Calling climate action a national, moral and religious duty, the minister proposed the development of a dedicated declaration on climate awareness at the conclusion of the conference proceedings.
He suggested involving various ministries, divisions and stakeholders in a coordinated framework aimed at promoting awareness and identifying practical actions.
Highlighting the role of media, Tarar said a culture had emerged in which controversial social media content attracted greater attention than issues of public importance.
He observed that content showcasing luxury lifestyles often received more views and engagement, whereas discussions on climate change failed to gain similar traction.
“What we need is a cultural change in this country,” he said.
“Talking about climate change should be trending. Talking about climate change should be fashionable. Talking about climate change should get more views because it is indeed an existential threat.”
The minister proposed engaging the Pakistan Broadcasters Association, mainstream television channels, digital media organisations and social media platforms including X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn in efforts to promote climate awareness.
He suggested allocating dedicated airtime for public service messaging on climate change and communicating with people in their own languages and cultural contexts.
Tarar also called for a greater role by the Higher Education Commission and universities, stressing that climate education should be integrated not only at university level but also in schools so that children develop a sense of responsibility from an early age.
To advance the initiative, he announced that a focal person would be nominated from his ministry to work with conference organisers in forming a joint working group.
The proposed group, he said, would identify stakeholders, define responsibilities, establish timelines for implementation and develop strategies for effective awareness campaigns.
The minister further proposed engaging prominent journalists, media personalities and opinion makers to help amplify climate-related messaging and influence public behaviour.
Assuring full cooperation from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Tarar said the ministry would support awareness efforts through public service messaging and other communication mechanisms.
“We will go out of our way to ensure that awareness is raised at every level,” he said, adding that any material developed under the green journalism initiative would be effectively communicated to the public.
The conference focused on the role of media, journalism and public communication in addressing climate change and strengthening social responsibility.
