Campaign launches children’s voice on climate change
The Children in a Changing Climate (CCC) programme has been successfully launched at the United Nations’ latest climate change talks with help from young delegates from Plan.
The programme’s primary goal is to promote children’s voices and participation in climate change issues, from their own communities through to global negotiations, to ensure a world fit for them and future generations.
Members of the programme’s secretariat, including representatives from Plan and a child delegate, met in Bonn in June to highlight CCC’s rationale and aims, as well as children’s views and recommendations from around the world. The audience included members of the UN Secretariat, national delegates and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Sixteen-year-old Leon, a climate change representative of Plan UK’s children’s advisory panel, kick-started the launch by sharing an update from Eni, a CCC child delegate from Indonesia, who attended last year’s Bali climate change talks.
Eni’s update explained that, since being given a chance to voice her views at Bali, she has become actively involved in raising awareness about climate change as well as undertaking a tree-planting initiative in her community.
Leon went on to talk about the positive role that children play both in informing other children and older generations about climate change, and, if given the chance, the creative contribution they can offer to adaptation policies and practice. “Governments must start working together even more. They must also make room for us to voice our opinions and truly influence decisions that will affect our future,” he concluded.
The views of children from Sierra Leone were aired in a short film. Responding to questions from British children, these youngsters explained the impacts of climate change on their lives; hunger due to poor rice harvests and severe disruption to their education caused by flooding of poorly-maintained roads.
They also suggested ways to address these issues, including school programmes on climate change, and the lobbying of national governments for controls on deforestation. Another short film gave a broad overview of the roles that children can play in climate change adaptation, drawing on experiences from El Salvador and the Philippines.
Nick Hall, Plan UK’s Disaster Risk Reduction manager, discussed the right children have to participate in decisions which affect them, the value of their participation, and the issue of generational justice.
The event concluded with a discussion about how to move the issue forward. Finally a pledge was made to promote the voice and participation of children in all relevant climate change processes.
Plan’s Nick Hall summed up: “The launch was a valuable way of raising awareness of the programme and the issues it is addressing, not only to those present at Bonn, but also to a wider audience through the circulation of invitations and the CCC website following the event. Being present at Bonn sent a message that the programme is serious about influencing climate change policy, and that children have the ability to play a significant role.”
Voices from Sierra Leone
As part of Children in a Changing Climate's child-led international consultation process, children are sharing their experiences and ideas around climate change. In the video clip below, children from Sierra Leone respond to questions put to them by children from the UK.
Children on the Frontline - BBC World documentary series Documentary series shown on BBC World TV in December 2007. Children in disaster prone areas voice their fears and suggest what should be done to make their lives safer
Young delegates attended Bali climate change conference As government officials and other interested parties attended the new round of discussions on climate change in Bali last December, Plan was supporting children to use their voice in international policy-making
El Salvador: children in action A group of children in El Salvador used direct action to stop damage to their local environment which threatened their community
