Climate change

Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 6 May 2024 – Recognizing the escalating impact of the climate crisis, particularly on children, the Government of Tajikistan, represented by the Committee for Environmental Protection, has taken an important step. At a signing event in Dushanbe today, Tajikistan joined over 40 countries from around the world in endorsing the…

As the effects of climate change are being felt more intensely, countries within the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region (ECAR) work to mitigate, prepare and respond to climate crises. The inception of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has led to a notable increase in the development of green sectors and opportunities aimed at fulfilling…

As world leaders, specialists from the international community, scientists, young people, business leaders and climate experts gather in Dubai for COP28, UNICEF urges for children to be central to all climate-related policy and practice. Investment in adapting the services that children’s lives and future depend on are critical to withstand the…

DUBAI, 8 December 2023 – Countries from across Europe and Central Asia affirmed their commitment to accelerating inclusive, child and youth-centered climate policies and action at a Bulgaria-UNICEF event on the Youth, Children and Skills Day at COP28. Young people from Bulgaria and Spain and leaders from across Europe and Central Asia shared…

NEW YORK/DUBAI, 7 December 2023 – Most children and young people say they have heard of climate change but only half understand what it is, according to a new UNICEF-Gallup poll, as world leaders gather at this year’s COP28. The global poll found that on average, 85 per cent of young people aged 15-24 surveyed in 55 countries said they have heard…

“When I was a child, we often went for walks with my family to rivers and lakes,” remembers 18-year-old Leyla. During these walks, she noticed that many of the water basins around her hometown in Azerbaijan were polluted with metal, plastic bottles and packaging. She was concerned that locals were unaware of the consequences of their actions. “…, Global asks and local actions, The Youth Climate Envoys programme empowers young people to speak up on climate issues and propose solutions at different levels, from local communities to the global climate debate. Two climate envoys from this year's cohort have joined the official delegation of Azerbaijan at the 28th Conference of the Parties, held in Dubai from 30 November to…, Educating and inspiring others, Following their training, youth climate envoys will visit urban and rural areas to educate other teenagers and young adults about climate action. Working through the network of youth clubs available in all districts of the country, they will conduct information and outreach sessions. “It is critical that young people in Azerbaijan understand these…

In Kyrgyzstan, air pollution is the single biggest environmental risk factor for premature death and ill-health, with young children among the most affected. In Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan a UNICEF study found that residents are exposed to annual average concentrations that range from moderately elevated to far more than concentrations known to cause…

The climate crisis is a child rights crisis, with the youngest and most vulnerable children bearing the greatest toll. Children in Armenia are already feeling its impact and are taking action and creating solutions. This year, students and teachers across Armenia dedicated themselves to fostering eco-friendly solutions to take on global problem…, A green lifestyle challenge, Three young girls working on their project on climate change In an effort to reduce a growing mountain of waste in Yeghegnadzor, Armenia, residents burn up to two tons of garbage every week. A group of 15 eighth graders from Yeghegnadzor public school #2 have been studying the causes of climate change and its consequential risks. Led by UNICEF…, From Climapolis to COP, Adolescents make eco-friendly products Narek and Yerazik, 18, are from the town of Vedi in Armenia’s Ararat province. Last year they participated in the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27, as the first young delegates from Armenia to represent the voices of their generation. In 2021, Narek and a group of friends founded start-up…, School students in Vardenis champion garbage sorting initiative, A young girl attaching a bin sticker to help sort trash. In Vardenis, Armenia, unsorted garbage is disposed of in a communal landfill. The practice has caused concern for several years with local authorities urging for the closure of the landfill due to its detrimental effects. The unmanaged waste spreads to neighboring areas through the wind and…

Climate change is a planetary and child rights crisis. Climate change can have adverse effects on the health and well-being of children and adolescents, who are much more vulnerable than adults to weather variations and climate related natural disasters.i Education for climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience has become a priority area…

The lives of millions of children around the world are being upended by the climate crisis. Geography does not protect against climate change; it is affecting children everywhere – even in in high-income countries – and the world is not doing nearly enough to protect them. In Europe, Canada and the United States, children with asthma and other…

GENEVA, 13 November 2023 – 1 in 6 children in eastern Europe and Central Asia – or 17 million across the region – live in areas exposed to severe water scarcity, according to a new report published today by UNICEF. The climate-changed child – released ahead of the COP28 climate change summit – is a supplement to UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk (…

ATHENS, 29 August 2023 – Two children, both of whom were asylum seekers, are among 27 people who have lost their lives since wildfires broke out across Greece in July, considered to be the largest wildfire disaster in the European Union since 2000. Children and families have lost their homes, livelihoods and access to basic services. Many are…