The world’s climate is changing. Carbon emissions from industrialised countries are causing the planet to heat up. This is having a devastating effect on children and their families living in developing countries.

The World Health Organisation estimates that each year 150,000 lives are already being lost as a direct result of climate change.

Climate change is a key issue for children. Young people are not only least responsible for the carbon emissions, they will also bear the brunt of the effects now and in the future.

The issue

Many of the major causes for child mortality in developing countries, including malaria, diarrhea and malnutrition are highly sensitive to climate conditions. Water shortage and changes in agricultural patterns will mean a massive decrease in available food in some countries, and as a consequence humanitarian emergencies are set to increase. Other effects including sea-level rises will add to the amount of people who will be forced to leave their homes and become refugees.

Find out more about the risks of climate change in our Climate Change and Children PDF.

UNICEF's impact

UNICEF works to help communities and children deal with the effects of climate change in the most vulnerable countries.

• In the Solomon Islands, our Build Back Better project is working with communities to rebuild schools after the devastating 2007 earthquake and tsunami. UNICEF is helping families to strengthen their resilience to the anticipated increase in natural disasters.
• UNICEF is working with other UN agencies to develop a strategy to promote safe and healthy environments for children. This strategy will focus on measures to prevent and reduce environmental risks to child survival, protection and education, while enhancing capacities to respond to the needs of children in the event of humanitarian crises linked to climate change.
• UNICEF is also developing an Environmental Education Resource Pack to support government efforts to empower children to protect and restore local environments.
• While many of the earths’ resources are threatened by climate change, one important renewable resource – the power of young people to effect change – is available in abundance.

In December 2009, UNICEF NZ gave five young people the opportunity to represent New Zealand at the Children's Climate Forum in Copenhagen.

Join Unite for Climate to learn about how to get involved in addressing cliamte change.