Environment

Learn more about climate and environment

In 2019, at the 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25) in Madrid, a group of world leaders joined youth activists in a historic moment — to sign an Intergovernmental Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action. This is the first-of-its-kind commitment to accelerate inclusive, child and youth-centered climate policies and action at national…, The Declaration, Considering  that children face heightened and specific risks due to climate change, that these impacts are already occurring, and that the most disadvantaged and marginalized children bear the heaviest burden; Acknowledging  the global leadership and calls of children and young people for urgent and immediate climate action, as well as their…, Signatories, Albania Guyana Micronesia Slovenia Andorra Honduras Monaco South Africa Armenia Hungary Montenegro Spain Bangladesh Iraq The Netherlands St. Lucia Belgium Jamaica Nigeria Suriname Benin Jordan North Macedonia Sweden Bulgaria Kyrgyzstan Norway Ukraine Chile Libya Palau Uruguay Costa Rica Luxembourg Panama Uzbekistan Denmark Malawi Peru Venezuela…, Other partners, Korean Parliamentarian Friends of UNICEF Scotland > Back to menu, Frequently asked questions, What is the Declaration?, The Declaration was launched in December 2019 during COP25 , at a high-level event convened by the COP25 Presidency of the Government of Chile in Madrid, Spain. UNICEF, in collaboration with YOUNGO and the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative coalition (CERI), supported the Presidency, champion governments and young people from around the…, Why is the Declaration important?, The Declaration represents a first-of-its-kind set of commitments by States to consistently consider children’s specific needs, rights and perspectives in their climate policies and action at all levels. This comprehensive framework seeks to respond to the fact that that the climate crisis is a child rights crisis, while also recognizing the…, How many countries have signed?, For the latest list, please refer to the Signatories section., Can the Declaration be changed?, The Declaration is based on priorities identified by children and youth themselves, and consensus on the text was reached by the champion governments that launched the Declaration in 2019. In 2021, feedback received from Member States was accepted by YOUNGO. The Declaration text is therefore considered closed at this stage, however an annex to the…, Is there any additional guidance to accompany the Declaration?, Yes, an annex has been developed to provide supporting guidance for taking forward operationalization of the Declaration’s commitments. This guidance is intended to provide more context, information, and supporting resources/tools where available. It also seeks to address additional comments and suggestions received from signatory States to…, How can our government sign?, Your Government can sign by sending a scanned copy of the signed Declaration to climate@unicef.org and the CERI Secretariat at secretariat@childrenvironment.org . You will receive a confirmation email from UNICEF. You are also kindly invited to identify a focal point and contact details for follow-up., What happens next?, Once confirmation is received, your Government will be included on the list of Member State signatories on the Declaration webpage of the co-custodians. We will announce your commitment on social media and showcase your alignment during key moments and events around the world. We invite you to announce this news through your own channels as well,…, How will progress be monitored?, As your Government takes steps to operationalize the Declaration, please share developments and plans with us so that we can bring visibility to exemplary work. We encourage you to make the Declaration visible on your Government website, and to inform/engage relevant stakeholders, for example through events at the national level, as suggested…, Resources, Publisher Title UNICEF   Children displaced in a changing climate UNICEF   An Environment Fit for Children: UNICEF’s Approach to Climate Change UNICEF   Healthy Environments for Healthy Children: Global Programme Framework UNICEF The coldest year of the rest of their lives

Stronger hurricanes are devastating communities, uprooting lives and putting children and their families at risk., The 29 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean are home to about 43 million people, including 12.6 million children. In recent years, these children and their families have become among the most vulnerable people in the world to the effects of drought, storms and flooding – events that are increasing in intensity and occurrence…, Issue at a glance, Dominican Republic. A child stands in front of a destroyed home. A boy stands in front of the remains of some houses after Hurricane Irma hit the Dominican Republic in September 2017. What’s happening? In the past five years, the number of people internally displaced by storms and flooding increased six-fold in the Caribbean SIDS. From 2014 to…, What is UNICEF doing?, UNICEF works with partners throughout the Caribbean to protect and support children, including supporting resilience planning and working to establish disaster-risk reduction strategies that limit forced displacement and shorten rehabilitation time – so families can return home. In the wake of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti in October 2016, UNICEF…, Call to action: Climate change, The worst effects of climate change are not inevitable. But to reduce the impact on children of extreme weather events caused by climate change, UNICEF supports action in four key areas: Putting children at the heart of climate change strategies and response plans. As the ones who are the least responsible for climate change but who will bear the…, Call to action: Children Uprooted, Antigua. A child studies with a tutor. A girl studies with a tutor on the island of Antigua after she and her family were evacuated to Antigua from Barbuda following Hurricane Irma in September 2017. Around the world, millions of children and families flee their homes to escape the impact of climate change, disaster, conflict, persecution, and…

Climate change is here. As its impact intensifies over time, it is the children and young people of today who will face the worst effects. But far from being passive victims, young people all over the world have begun to fight back on a scale never seen before. Take Greta Thunberg. In 2018, the 15-year-old from Sweden sparked a global movement of…, More from UNICEF