The climate crisis, environmental destruction, and the pollution of air, soil, and water pose a global threat. Children are particularly affected, as their futures are jeopardized. In 2023, the United Nations affirmed that every child has the right to a healthy environment. We are committed to realizing this right worldwide. Together, we can protect the health and natural resources of all children. Support us in this endeavor!
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Healthy environment for children - facts and figures
Children's right to a healthy environment
Floods that destroy homes and schools; the deforestation of forests and other ecosystems that serve as habitats for indigenous groups; cities where children breathe polluted air: the environmental and climate crisis has long since become a crisis of children's rights.
Against this backdrop, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child concluded in September 2023 that the right to grow up and live in a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a child's right. This is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. 196 states have ratified it, incorporated it into their national law, and thereby committed themselves to the fundamental rights of every child – for example, the right to health; to an adequate standard of living; and to life, survival, and development. It is now official: climate and environmental damage can no longer be ignored. The international community is obligated to enact national laws to protect the environment and health. And it must ensure that these laws are respected.
More on General Comment No. 26
Environmental pollution: Fatal consequences for children
Poor air quality, polluted water, and contaminated soil can have dangerous and even fatal consequences. This is especially true for children: their immune systems are not yet fully developed, making them more susceptible to respiratory, skin, and intestinal diseases. One in three children is poisoned by lead ingested through the environment. After malnutrition, air pollution is the second leading cause of death in children under five. In many countries around the world, newborns are already born with multiple toxins in their bodies. The negative effects can burden children for a lifetime.
Climate change: Imbalance at the expense of future generations
While years of drought turn fertile land into deserts, elsewhere floods and storms devastate entire regions. Children in poorer areas of the Global South are particularly affected, as they contribute little to the causes and have little power to counteract them
Climate change also represents a blatant injustice between generations: A child born today faces a far greater risk of being exposed to the consequences of climate change than the generations responsible for it.
What does Terre des Hommes do?
- We are committed to ensuring that all children and young people can grow up in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
- We enable children and young people to access information and knowledge on environmental and climate issues.
- We support and protect children and young people who are committed to climate and environmental protection.
- We are committed to realizing children's right to a healthy environment. We help children and families suffering from the effects of climate change.
In Terre des Hommes projects, children learn about nature and actively engage in environmental protection: They discover their environmental rights, learn about sustainable economic and agricultural methods, and motivate their families and neighbors to prevent waste and pollution. Terre des Hommes also supports communities in improving environmental protection for children and mitigating the consequences of resource depletion and climate disasters. To ensure the environment is protected for children, Terre des Hommes advocates for children's rights to become a key benchmark for political and economic decisions.
Information material on the topic of a healthy environment
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Your contact persons
Jonas Schubert
Speaker Advocacy
Magdalena Firchau
Advocacy speaker