By Janet Ogundepo
Children around the world, represented by young people from 14 countries, have demanded inclusion in the negotiations at the ongoing 28th meeting of the Conference of Parties by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
COP28 is an annual event that brings together about 198 member nations signatories to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement.
This year’s event is hosted by the United Arab Emirates and held at the Expo City in Dubai and will be held from November 30 – December 12, 2023.
In a statement from a children’s humanitarian organisation, Save the Children, sent to PUNCH Healthwise, the children voiced their requests at the national ‘COP simulations’ organised by the organisation and its partners.
The young people from 14 countries, including Rwanda, Guatemala, Nigeria and Madagascar, also demanded better access to climate education and more funding for climate-resilient infrastructure.
The world’s 2.4 billion children are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis – an emergency that is taking lives, eroding children’s rights and threatening their future, the organisation noted.
The statement further read in part, “In Rwanda, children said floods and mudslides had destroyed buildings and roads, preventing them from going to school or accessing health facilities.
“When there is heavy rain, children don’t manage to go to school…it causes mudslides. Then our parents start struggling to get school fees and this results in school dropouts,” they said.
“In Zambia, extreme weather events like drought had also impacted their access to education.
“When there is a drought, we children don’t go to school because we must search for water,” their joint letter read.”
The UNFCCC executive secretary, Simon Stiell, described this year’s temperature as the hottest ever recorded.
About 40 million children risk disruption in learning activities due to the impacts of extreme weather events.
It is projected that this figure will rise as the intensity and frequency increase due to climate change.
It further read, “Across the simulations, many children asked their governments to include climate education in the national curriculum, so they are equipped with knowledge about climate change, its effects and how to address it. Many also requested better infrastructure to make school buildings and communities safer.
“Zambian children asked their delegation to protect their access to water services, by investing in practical solutions, like drilling boreholes and water harvesting.
“We also want to see sustainable infrastructure that can survive floods and droughts,” they said.
“A group in Madagascar said: “Because of the cyclones, the water level is rising so we can’t go to school. We’re asking for a bridge so that we can cross over and get to school.”
“In Nigeria, children said money should go towards new facilities that have “flood-resistant materials, adequate drainage systems, and alternative energy sources.”
A recent report by Save the Children and partners found that just 2.4 per cent of climate finance from four key global climate funds could be classified as sufficiently considering children.
This implies that children’s rights are often overlooked when it comes to climate finance.
“Our voice is important, listen to us. We want to ask the authorities to seriously think about the value we have as children, and the future we deserve,” the group in Guatemala said.
Save the Children’s Chief Executive Officer, Inger Ashing said, “The climate crisis is at its heart a child rights crisis. It’s taking lives, eroding children’s rights and threatening their future. Children’s calls for action pushed the climate emergency up the political agenda.
“Now, adults must step up and support children to implement their ideas for a better future. Children want to be heard. We need to ensure a focus on children’s rights, based on children’s views and recommendations, in climate negotiations, policies and financing at all levels.”
The NGO urged world leaders at COP28 to increase climate finance and direct support to children and families for adaptation to the climate crises and addressing losses and damages.
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