The Right Way Forward – Environment

NICCY Youth Panel have been exploring how climate change and environmental break down can impact their rights under the UNCRC. This is a key issue impacting children and young people across the planet, but many solutions can be found locally. The Youth Panel held the ‘Hear Our Voices’ Event in Greenmount Campus in March. You can see what happened here.

What does the UNCRC Say?

Children have the right to the best health care possible, clean water to drink, healthy food and a clean and safe environment to live in. All adults and children should have information about how to stay safe and healthy.

Every child has the right to be alive. Governments must make sure that children survive and develop in the best possible way.

What other rights might be impacted and how?

What else does the UNCRC Committee say about children’s rights to a healthy environment?

General Comment 26 was developed with over 16 thousand children from 121 countries. It outlines what governments should do to protect children and young people from the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.

How do young people feel their right to a healthy environment is being met?

“A clean and healthy environment is important for children’s development and both physical and mental health. Pollution can lead to respiratory diseases and other illnesses. Polluted water can prevent access to safe drinking water and can also impact food production. In relation to mental health children need access to green spaces which have a positive impact on their wellbeing. The current climate crisis can have a negative impact on children and young people’s emotions as they feel they can do very little to change things.”

“Children and young people should be at the heart of decision making about climate mitigation and environmental protection as they will live with the consequences for longer than those in power.”

“All children should have opportunities to experience green spaces regularly and have opportunities to take part in rewilding and protection of animal habitats”

“We need access to reliable information about what is happening to our planet. There is so much false information going round, especially on social media such as TikTok and Instagram. Schools should teach reliable information so that everyone can hear non-biased opinions. They should also teach children about the environment at a younger age”

“Article 12 is important because children and young people can share different ideas on how to take action. From a young age children should feel like they can come up with ideas and be listened to by people who can make change”

What do we want to happen?

• Children and young people need reliable, accurate, unbiased information. This should be done through schools and also have somewhere online where facts can be checked.
• The Government should include children’s voices in decisions on climate action and protecting the environment.
• Make sure children’s rights are a priority in all decisions relating to climate mitigation, sustainable development and protecting our planet.

You can find out more about NICCY’s work on climate and environmental justice here.