CARE Pakistan, in collaboration with GIZ and with funding from the European Union, is hosting a series of free awareness sessions on green skills and climate smart technologies for small and medium enterprise owners, entrepreneurs, traders, manufacturers, and agri-processors operating across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Balochistan. The sessions are scheduled to run through July, August, and September 2026, with locations spanning Peshawar, Swabi, Quetta, Hunza, Skardu, and Gilgit. Participation is free and seats are limited, with registration available through the official link shared by the organisers. The initiative forms part of a broader project titled Enhancing Private Sector Awareness on Green Skills and Climate-Smart Technologies, co-funded by the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany through the TVET Sector Support Programme in Pakistan.
The project is designed around a recognition that small and medium enterprises in Pakistan’s less industrially developed provinces represent both a significant portion of local economic activity and a largely untapped opportunity for green transition. Many businesses operating in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Balochistan are exposed to climate risks, including water scarcity, erratic agricultural conditions, and rising energy costs, that green technologies are specifically designed to address, but the awareness, financing knowledge, and technical exposure needed to make that transition remain limited across the private sector in these regions. The awareness sessions are positioned as an entry point into that transition, giving business owners the practical knowledge and connections they need to begin making informed decisions about green investment and technology adoption.
The sessions cover four key sectors that are particularly relevant to the economic activities and climate vulnerabilities of the target regions. Agribusiness and livestock is addressed through content on climate-adaptive farming, precision agriculture, sustainable livestock practices, and value chain efficiency, all of which carry direct relevance for the significant agricultural and pastoral economies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Balochistan. Renewable energy is covered through a focus on solar, micro-hydro, and wind solutions that can reduce energy costs and carbon footprints for small and medium enterprises that currently rely on expensive or unreliable grid power. Water management forms a third track, addressing efficient irrigation, water conservation technologies, and integrated watershed management for businesses where water availability is a critical operational constraint. Water-intensive industries, including textiles and food processing, are addressed through content on green technologies that can reduce water use and improve the resilience of businesses operating in sectors with significant water dependency.
Participants will leave the sessions with practical knowledge of green technologies applicable to their specific sectors, information on the financing mechanisms and support programmes available for green upgrades, connections with experts, peers, and implementing partners, and a platform through which they can articulate their own business challenges and climate adaptation needs. This combination of knowledge, financing awareness, and networking is designed to move participants from general awareness into a position where concrete next steps toward green transition become visible and actionable. The project also carries an explicit focus on enhancing market-relevant skills and employment opportunities for Technical and Vocational Education and Training graduates, with particular emphasis on creating pathways for women, addressing both the green economy transition and the gender dimensions of skills development and employment in the target regions simultaneously.
For small and medium enterprise owners and entrepreneurs across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Balochistan who are navigating the intersection of business sustainability and climate adaptation, the sessions represent an accessible and cost-free opportunity to engage with the knowledge, tools, and networks that the green transition requires. The geographic spread of the sessions across Peshawar, Swabi, Quetta, Hunza, Skardu, and Gilgit reflects a deliberate effort to bring this programming as close as possible to the businesses and communities it is designed to serve, rather than concentrating it in urban centres that many of the target participants would find difficult to reach.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
