From flooded schools to collapsing health systems, children are facing the worst consequences of a crisis they had no hand in causing.
At COP29, held amid growing concerns over the devastating impacts of climate change, UNICEF and global leaders emphasized the urgent need to prioritize children in climate strategies.
From flooded schools to collapsing health systems, children are facing the worst consequences of a crisis they had no hand in causing.
"Children are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change," said Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF.
"Their health, safety, and very ability to survive are being threatened. We must act now to ensure their futures."
UNICEF reports that nearly 1 billion children worldwide are living in areas at extreme risk of climate change impacts.
Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and resource shortages are depriving millions of children of access to food, education, and healthcare.
"This is not just a climate crisis; it is a child rights crisis," Russell stated. "Every national plan must reflect the disproportionate impact of climate change on children."
UNICEF is calling on world leaders to incorporate child rights into climate policies, outlining several crucial steps to address the needs of children in climate action:
- The COP29 Cover Decision must explicitly recognize the unique and disproportionate impact of climate change on children, including the implementation of recommendations from the Expert Dialogue on children and climate change.
- Leaders must ensure that the new financing target to replace the $100 billion goal explicitly supports child rights, with resources directed toward health, education, and disaster resilience.
- UNICEF advocates for meaningful participation of children and young people in decision-making at COP29 and beyond.
- All new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) should specifically address the risks climate change poses to children.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed these calls, stressing that the future of children is directly linked to the future of the planet.
"We cannot address climate change without addressing its impact on the most vulnerable. To protect children is to protect humanity's future," he said.
World leaders are being urged to take bold actions to significantly reduce carbon emissions, with UNICEF insisting that this is the only way to protect children and the planet.
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"Children should not pay the price for our inaction," said Russell. "The time to act is now."
Looking Ahead to COP30
UNICEF is already focusing on COP30, urging nations to engage children in policymaking and create child-friendly NDCs and national adaptation plans.
The organization is calling for a long-term commitment to climate action centered on children.
"Children cannot wait," Russell concluded. "COP29 is an opportunity to ensure a sustainable and safe world for all children, but this requires urgent and unprecedented global cooperation."
As negotiations continue, the message from COP29 is clear: the climate crisis is a child rights crisis, and addressing it must be a global priority.
