The climate crisis is here. The world has already warmed by approximately 1.1°C since the 19th century and the last 7 years (2015 –2021) were the warmest on record. It has exposed every child on every continent to more frequent, intense and destructive climate hazards including air pollution, water scarcity, heatwaves, vector-borne disease, cyclones, and river and coastal flooding.

Because of the gulf between the global action needed to reduce emissions and any tangible game-changing response, the climate crisis will rapidly intensify and its impact on children will become deadlier. Children are already uniquely vulnerable to death and damage from climate change – they are less able to survive extreme weather, and are more susceptible to toxic chemicals, temperature changes and diseases. If they survive, this harm lasts a lifetime and perpetuates and deepens inequality and poverty for generations. Those in the poorest communities, with the fewest resources and the least responsibility for emissions, are facing the most immediate dangers.

With over 1 billion children at extremely high risk now, and 4.2 billion children to be born over the next 30 years, there is an urgent need for countries to adapt, prepare and build resilience in preparation for more frequent and severe climate hazards.