Children's imaginations can change the world

Climate Champions invention challenge

This collaborative project aims to show that children’s input should be actively sought and listened to on matters that affect their future, particularly on the climate and other environmental issues. Their ideas and passion for protecting our planet can - and should - inspire climate policy makers to take bold action on behalf of children and future generations.

A collaboration with

Little Inventors, a creative education organisation that inspires imagination by taking children’s ideas seriously. They help children develop and showcase creativity and problem-solving skills, building confidence, curiosity and resilience to become caring citizens.
The Rights Studio, our sister organisation, a creative hub for people and organisations to engage on human rights issues affecting children, young people and future generations through the arts and other creative expressions.

Why this is needed

Faced with climate collapse in the next decade, it is children today and future generations who have the most to lose. We are heading towards irreversible climate breakdown, which will affect everything from natural disasters, to social and economic breakdown, to mass population displacement. This will in turn lead to an increase in disease outbreaks, malnutrition, destruction of habitats, and conflict. This will affect the full range of human rights, including children’s right to life, survival and development, health, and an adequate standard of living.

Despite this clear threat to their futures, children themselves and their rights are mostly absent from legal and policy discussions. At most, they can go into the streets to protest. This needs to change; and this is where we come in.

Our goal

Our project will show children must be a part of climate and environmental decisions – they care, have rights and their imaginations can inspire adults to take bold action to save our planet from irreversible destruction.

We are organising a creative and empowering ‘challenge’ on how to protect our planet in order to:

Demonstrate how children’s creativity and voice can positively influence global issues, and that their input should be actively sought;
Empower children to access and better understand global advocacy systems related to the climate crisis.

This challenge will help children better understand climate change and encourage them to use their brilliant imaginations to think of ideas to better protect the planet. They will upload their inventions to a challenge website and then a selection of the most inspiring ideas will be chosen to be brought to life. These ideas will be showcased at events, including at the UN Human Rights Council, encouraging adults to listen to children and involve them in climate decisions.

Sounds great! How can I be involved?

This challenge is open to everyone who wants to take part around the world! You can directly access all the information including a full resources pack on climatechampions.littleinventors.org. Together we can help ensure children’s voices and ideas on how to stop climate change and better protect our planet are heard.

Thanks to the project’s donors

This project is funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. Funding support has also been provided by the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.

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