Children and climate change
For every child, a sustainable future
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Every child on the planet is already affected by climate change. Natural disasters, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss can devastate agriculture, cutting children off from nutritious foods and safe water. They can lead to dangerous environments and disease outbreaks, and destroy the safe shelter, quality health care and education systems children need to survive and thrive.
The climate crisis is changing children. It is robbing them of their ability to grow healthy and happy, and can ultimately cause illness, disease and even death. Efforts to sustain a liveable planet must not only account for the unique needs and vulnerabilities of young people; they must also include them in the solutions. Children and young people have critical skills, experiences and ideas for safer, more sustainable societies.
What we do
At UNICEF, our climate, disaster risk reduction, environment and energy activities aim to:
- Advocate with governments and business partners to put children and young people first in their sustainability plans, budgets and actions towards a green transition.
- Strengthen the resilience and continuity of social services to climate and environmental impacts, including humanitarian action in response to disasters.
- Support and empower children and young people to adapt and create a better world.
What needs to happen
The climate crisis is a child's right crisis. Children’s needs, perspectives and rights must be considered in climate policy, action and investment at all levels.
UNICEF is calling on governments and partners to act.
- Protect the lives, health and well-being of children and the resilience of their communities by adapting essential social services to a changing climate, more frequent disasters and degrading environment.
- Empower every child through their life course with the developmental opportunities, education and skills to be a champion for the environment.
- Reduce emissions and fulfil ambitious international sustainability and climate change agreements.
Children’s voices for climate action
Read more about children’s views on environmental response
Get involved
To address the climate crisis, everyone needs to understand why it is happening and what can be done to defend against its impacts, specifically for children.
Build your climate change knowledge and share what you learn with others – your children, family, friends or colleagues.
>Access the Toolkit for climate activists
> Hear from your peers: Youth climate activists inspire hope