COP30: Children's rights at the World Climate Conference
The 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) has been underway in Belém, Brazil, for the past 10 days. Politicians and delegates from nearly every country in the world are meeting here to decide on climate protection, climate adaptation, and climate finance. Their decisions will determine what kind of planet current and future generations of children will grow up and live on.
And what about the children and young people themselves? It remains a design flaw in climate policy that the youngest generation has had virtually no say so far – even though they will be the ones most affected by global warming and its consequences. The decisions are made by adults. Especially in international climate negotiations, children and young people are still not given enough of a voice.
Terre des Hommes is committed to changing that.
Climate policy demands of children and young people
The Terre des Hommes Children and Youth Declaration
Terre des Hommes together with 60 youth activists from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, has compiled demands for the year 2025. They are calling on governments and decision-makers at COP30 to:
- Create a loss and damage fund that children can understand and that primarily supports children, families, and schools in rebuilding!
- Provide funding for local youth and community work – without too much bureaucracy!
- Recognize what money cannot replace: lost school time, fear, cultural damage, and emotional distress! All of this must be taken into account when determining compensation.
- Ensure that children and young people sit on the committees that decide on compensation for losses and damages!
- Plan climate adaptation together with young people and their communities – not just from the top down!
- Protect our right to education during and after disasters!
- Include safe schools and hospitals in all plans!
- Provide more funding and create easy ways for young people and their communities to start their own climate projects!
- Remove obstacles and negative prejudices against women and girls!
- Introduce gender-sensitive climate education so that even children understand that all genders deserve equal opportunities!
- Use approaches that specifically protect women and gender-diverse children and young people – especially in disadvantaged regions!
- Make sure that climate education also addresses topics such as gender and inclusion and shows the role of women and girls in the climate movement!
- Bring climate education to every school – with simple materials and training!
- Let young people have a say in what is taught about climate in schools – in understandable language!
- Establish open forums where children and young people can freely express their ideas – and politicians must listen and act!
- Support youth-led climate communication: campaigns, podcasts, apps and stories that make climate easy to understand – in local languages, with art and on social media!
- Put children, young people, and disadvantaged communities at the heart of climate justice! Protect their rights, their health, and their educational opportunities!
- Pay attention to fair and transparent climate policies, especially when it comes to financing decisions!
- Involve young people in the review of (national) climate targets!
- Recognize the right of every child to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment in COP decisions!
- Strengthen ACE (Action for Climate Empowerment) so that child-friendly participation is truly possible!
- Set clear, measurable goals that will protect us now and in the future!
- Create safe spaces for climate protection – free from violence and discrimination!
Children and youth participation at COP30
In Belém, Terre des Hommes representatives are also working on the ground at the climate conference to ensure that the lives and health of children and young people are taken into account in the negotiations and decisions. To this end, they participate in expert forums and speak with negotiators to enshrine the children's rights aspect of climate change.
On November 20, World Children's Rights Day, Terre des Hommes also organizing its own event. In the context of the children's right to a healthy environment, , the focus is on "Climate Action," specifically addressing the question: What concrete impact can the COP have on children and young people?
