Climate action for families

Connect with nature 

Children who feel connected to nature are more motivated to protect it. Start with simple activities:

• Get outside and encourage your child to observe plants and animals
• Create nature challenges where children look for specific leaves, flowers or birds
• Build a bird feeder and watch visiting wildlife
• Plant a tree or care for a potted plant at home.

Such activities help children enjoy the beauty of nature and appreciate how beneficial it is to their own health and well-being.

Reduce, reuse, repair, recycle

We can help protect the climate if we “Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle”. Teaching children about the four Rs is both educational and practical.

Reduce how much waste your family produces. Choose longer-lasting items over single use, disposable alternatives. For example, you can encourage children to use reusable water bottles and carry reusable bags with them for shopping.

Help them think about what we consume. For example, using both sides of the paper when writing or drawing, or asking before buying new things "Do I really need this? Can I borrow or share with a friend or sibling instead?"

Reuse by finding new purposes for old household items. Challenge your children to find creative ways to reuse items rather than throwing them away. For example, you can transform glass jars into pencil holders, cardboard boxes into craft storage and old t-shirts into cleaning rags. Avoid re-using single-use plastic items though, which can be harmful for health.

Repair items rather than replacing them with new ones. If something breaks at home, can you fix it or take it to a local repair shop? Often it can be cheaper than buying a new one. Learning practical skills like sewing can be a fun activity to do with your children. You can repair damaged clothing or find creative ways to update them to match your child’s sense of style!

Recycle by setting up clearly labelled recycling bins at home and teaching children to sort materials properly. Could your child create a poster to remind everyone what materials should go where? Remember to set a positive example by consistently recycling yourself. If your community does not have a recycling programme, write a letter with your child to the local government about why it is important to have one.

Save energy and money

Reducing the amount of energy we use is one of the most effective ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Encourage your children to become ‘energy detectives’ and:

• Turn off lights when leaving a room
• Unplug electronic devices when not in use
• Consider clothing choices instead of adjusting heating or cooling.

These habits help save energy, teach children responsibility and can significantly lower your energy costs. Additional steps you can take include choosing energy efficient lightbulbs and appliances, and by switching to renewable energy sources like solar or wind where available.

Conserve water: Every drop counts

Climate change is making droughts more frequent and severe. Help children understand that clean water is a precious resource while developing water-saving habits:

• Take shorter showers (aim for 5 minutes or less) by timing it with a favourite song or a timer
• Turn off the tap while brushing teeth, washing hands or shampooing hair
• Water plants during cooler parts of the day (early morning or evening) to reduce evaporation
• Collect leftover drinking water and rainwater for plants and garden use
• Only run dishwashers and washing machines with full loads
• Encourage your child to report any leaks around the home – a single drip from a leaky tap can waste thousands of litres of water in a year.

You can also consider installing water-efficient showerheads and toilets if available.

Make food choices that matter

The production of plant-based foods (such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts) creates less greenhouse gas emissions than animal-based foods like meat and dairy. Plant-rich diets also offer many health benefits, helping to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.

Help children understand that the food we eat – and how it is produced – affects the environment and our health.

• Involve kids in meal planning and preparation to reduce food waste
• Add plant-based meals throughout the week – ask children what vegetarian options they'd like to try. Here are some tasty and sustainable recipes from top chefs for inspiration
• Buy seasonal, local produce when possible to reduce emissions from transportation and storage
• Avoid food waste – only buy what you need and use up any leftovers by freezing them or turning them into soups or new meals
• Compost food scraps to show children how organic waste can become a natural fertilizer that helps plants thrive.

Choose greener transportation

Transportation is a major source of carbon emissions, but it's also an area where families can often make positive changes. If it’s safe and practical where you live, encourage your family to:

• Walk or bike for short trips instead of driving by car
• Use public transport where available for longer distances
• Create walking or biking groups
• Plan walking routes to school with other families.

If the air quality is poor where you live, then some of these options can be limited. But, where possible, they can help reduce emissions, encourage healthy physical activity and create opportunities for family bonding.

> Read: What is air pollution and how to protect your family from it

Support your child’s voice

One of the most powerful ways children can contribute to climate action is by sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with others. Depending on your child’s age, you could support them to:

• Talk about climate change and the environment with friends and classmates
• Participate in (or start) an environmental club or project at school
• Write letters to your local leaders about environmental concerns, such as air pollution, protecting local green spaces or creating bike paths in the community
• Take part in community clean-up activities
• Create public awareness campaigns through school projects or social media – see our toolkit for young climate activists for inspiration.

Let your child know that many young people are standing up for our planet, such as these climate change activists. Discuss with your child how when they’re older, they will have the right to vote for leaders who best represent their values and concerns. When children feel their voices matter, they develop confidence and leadership skills while contributing to positive change.

Make sustainability a family adventure

Adopting eco-friendly practices at home doesn’t happen overnight, but every action adds up. Find ways to make sustainability fun and to turn it into a routine that involves all the family:

• Set up family challenges, like identifying what single-use items around the home you can change for longer-lasting, more sustainable options
• Celebrate milestones, such as achieving energy and water-saving goals
• Organize regular meet ups with friends and neighbours for toy or clothing swaps
• Learn more about climate and environmental issues together by reading books, watching documentaries and discovering young climate activists online
• Participate in your community, joining activities like local clean-ups or tree-planting.

"Children need to see that adults today care about their future and are doing everything in their power to ensure that children and the next generations will live on a liveable planet."

John Jamir Benzon R. Aruta, environmental psychologist

Remember that children look up to adults, so consider how you can be a positive role model. Think about what impact your voting and consumer decisions can have. Lasting solutions to the climate crisis go beyond the home. They depend on governments and companies taking ambitious measures to confront climate change and safeguard every child’s future.

Children and young people have inherited the devastating consequences of climate inaction. It’s critical that adults include them in the solutions.