Senator Dr Musadik Malik, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, spoke at the opening plenary session of the 29th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC 2026) hosted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).
Malik argued that the progress of a nation should be judged by how it affects the lives of common citizens and future generations rather than by dollar amounts.
“For the poor, development is measured in generations, not dollars,” Malik said. Malik reported that roughly 3.7 billion people reside in nations where the cost of servicing debt uses more resources than the total spent on healthcare and education combined.
“This is not merely weather or climate; it is a tax that a poor person pays through his body,” Malik said. Malik highlighted a plan for a Virtual Green University to link Pakistani academic institutions with international research bodies.
He also described the Green Cloud initiative, which aims to provide young people with free access to technological resources created through public funding. Malik said the first competition for this fund is expected to take place within the next three months.
“Invest in these kids. Give them the resources, let them experiment with science and get out of their way,” Malik said.
