At the COMSTECH Secretariat in Islamabad on June 11, 2026, leading journalists, climate experts, policymakers, academics and media educators urged the integration of Green Journalism into mainstream media to address mounting climate and environmental challenges.
The one-day international conference on Green Journalism was jointly organized by OIC-COMSTECH and the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology and brought together stakeholders committed to improving climate communication and public engagement. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar attended as chief guest and praised COMSTECH and FUUAST for initiating a national dialogue on environmental reporting and awareness.
Attaullah Tarar highlighted that Pakistan, while contributing a small share of global emissions, remains highly vulnerable to climate impacts and that responsible journalism can inform citizens, shape policy conversations and promote stewardship. He assured participants of the Ministry of Information’s support for efforts to strengthen climate reporting and media capacity.
Coordinator General OIC-COMSTECH Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary stressed that climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification, water scarcity and food insecurity threaten many OIC member states and called for closer collaboration among media, scientists, policymakers and communities. He emphasized that journalists must make complex environmental issues understandable, evidence-based and relevant to public concerns.
Vice Chancellor FUUAST Prof. Dr. Zabta Khan Shinwari underlined the role of academic institutions in building environmental consciousness and preparing future journalists through research-led training. A dedicated session of media faculty and researchers discussed concrete steps for embedding Green Journalism into university curricula and professional development frameworks.
Panels brought leading voices from Pakistani media together with international input. The first session featured journalists Rauf Klasra, Mahnoor Qureshi, Javed Chaudhry and Azaz Syed, while Dr. Margaret Otieno contributed an international keynote message. Speakers urged fact-based climate reporting, stronger public awareness campaigns and deeper media engagement with environmental policymaking.
A follow-up panel examined the social responsibilities of media in promoting sustainability and showcased research on climate communication and public awareness. The conference also included a student poster exhibition and documentary screenings that highlighted campus-led solutions and community responses to environmental problems.
Participants concluded that Green Journalism must be mainstreamed across newsrooms, classrooms and policy forums, and that media institutions, universities, government and civil society should work together to promote informed public discourse and evidence-based environmental action in Pakistan.
