Faced with climate breakdown in the next decade, it is children today and future generations who have the most to lose. During COP27, CRIN will be spotlighting what children have to say on the climate crisis, and why they need a seat at the decision-making table.

Why COP27 affects us all

With COP27 just around the corner (6-18 November), we are spotlighting children’s perspectives on the climate crisis, how it affects their human rights and what action they consider needs to be taken.

COP is important because it is the moment when the UN brings together decision-makers from countries from around the world to discuss climate change and the urgent action that’s needed to prevent further irreversible destruction of our planet. A new report from UN Climate Change highlights that the time to act with more ambitious actions is now. Yet while countries are making progress in decreasing global greenhouse gas emissions, these efforts are not enough. The report finds that we are on track for a 2.5 degrees Celsius global temperature rise, instead of the target 1.5 degrees by the end of the century.

The climate crisis is a children’s rights crisis 

It goes without saying that humans cannot live and have rights if there isn’t a healthy planet to live on in the first place. Pollution, deforestation, unsustainable agricultural and fishing practices, and the overconsumption of resources by a small portion of the world's population are profoundly affecting the environment and the climate, endangering the quality of life of humanity and biodiversity on Earth.

The climate crisis affects humanity as a whole, but children are particularly at risk because they are exposed to these threats during sensitive periods of development and they will have to live with any consequences for longer. According to UNICEF one billion children are at extremely high risk of the impacts of climate change. 

Children’s voices and perspectives in climate spaces

The lived experience of the climate crisis will weigh most on children today and future generations, as they have the most to lose. Yet they themselves and talk of their rights are often absent from and ignored in policy discussions and global climate and human rights forums. We believe that children and young people should be involved in climate and environmental decisions - they care, have rights and their ideas, passion and imaginations can inspire those with the power - like those at COP - to urgently act to preserve our planet from further ruin.

But there are many barriers affecting whether children can attend spaces like COP and have a meaningful experience. Access in the first place prevents many from having their say. Getting badges and funding to attend COP can be a huge challenge for many children, particularly those from Most Affected People and Areas. CRIN received many requests for support with accreditation from amazing young climate organisers around the world and it’s clear how much children and young people want to be present and influence the next steps. 

There are many individuals and organisations out there (children and adults alike!) who are advocating for children’s voices and perspectives to be better represented in these huge decisions which affect their futures too. It’s time decision makers listen.

Spotlighting what children have to say

We are partnering with fellow children’s rights organisation Terre des Hommes to showcase the voices and perspectives of the children we work with. Over the next two weeks we will be sharing videos and written quotes from CRIN’s Climate Advisers and the Children’s Advisory Team to General Comment 26 (on children’s rights and the environment, with a focus on climate change). Here’s some of what they’ve had to say thus far:

“It is extremely important for children to attend COP27 so that our voice is heard by changemakers. Changemakers cannot know what problems children face without asking us.”

~ Olt, 15, Balkans

“I believe in the idea of the redistribution of power. We have seen how the Global North has built its prosperity through extractivist practices such as colonialism and climate imperialism. Global South communities are the ones that are suffering the most from these historical burdens. And it is those children from these communities that need to have their voices heard in political spaces.”

~ Santiago, 17, Latin America

“Climate change affects us children the most. We need to demand that we're going to be taken care of. Because we are a priority, not a choice.”

~ Maya, 16, Greenland

Our aim for COP and places where decisions are made about climate change, is to make children’s rights a priority and ensure that they are accessible for children, particularly those of the Most Affected People and Areas. 

We’ll be sharing children’s testimonies during COP on our Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin. We welcome you to support this call and add your voice.  

Resources

We’ll also be spotlighting some resources from others working on this issue, and ways to get involved. Please share with us if you have any additional resources you recommend!

If you are a child or a young climate activist

No voice in advocacy is too small to make a difference and every child and young person has a right to advocate for what meaningful climate action looks like to them. Here are some resources if you are looking for a starting point:

If you want to support children speaking out for their rights and and the planet

Whether you are a policy maker, a parent, an NGO worker or activist you can believe that children’s voices must be heard and that children’s rights themselves must be factored into these major climate decisions. And you can act at your level to create the space for this to happen. Here are some resources that can help shed light on the issue and what you can do.

This story is part of CRIN’s work on Climate Change and Children’s Access to Environmental Justice.

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