extreme events climate change infographic

Unless we invest heavily in adaptation and resilience of social services for the 4.2 billion children born over the next 30 years, these children will face increasingly high risks to their survival and well-being. Mitigation efforts will take decades to reverse the impacts of climate change, and for the children of today, this will be too late.UNICEF urges a greater emphasis on funding to build climate resilience and adaptive capacity. UNICEF urges developed countries to exceed their 2009 promise to mobilize $US100 billion annually in climate finance in light of evidence that these sums are insufficient to address the scale of climate impacts.

Increase investment in climate adaptation and resilience.And climate-responsive social safety nets reduce risks for 310 million children.Īction at COP26 is imperative.Resilient schools and education systems reduce risks for 275 million children.Climate-smart health services reduce risks for 460 million children.Access to resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services reduces risks for 415 million children.Improving the resilience of key services that children depend upon is often the best investment to reduce the risks they face.The 10 highest-risk countries collectively emit only 0.5 per cent of global emissions. The 33 extremely high-risk countries collectively emit 9 per cent of CO2 emissions. Children from countries that contribute the least to climate change suffer the greatest consequences.An estimated 850 million children – over one third of all children – live in areas where at least four of climate and environmental shocks overlap, and as many as 330 million children live in areas affected by a staggering five major climate shocks.These children face a deadly combination of exposure to multiple climate and environmental shocks with a high vulnerability due to inadequate essential services, such as water and sanitation, healthcare and education. Approximately 1 billion children – nearly half the world’s children - live in 33 countries classified in the Index as “extremely high-risk”.An August UNICEF report, The Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), found almost every child on earth is exposed to at least one climate and environmental hazard, such as heatwaves, cyclones, air pollution, flooding and water scarcity.Some important facts about children and climate: Building the resilience of social services that these children will depend upon is critical to reduce the risks they will face. Critically, current and future generations of children will have to navigate an uncertain future where the current model of growth that links economic development to environmental exploitation is no longer viable.Ĭhildren in communities that have contributed the least to global emissions will face the greatest impacts of climate change.Compared to adults, children require more food and water per unit of their body weight, are less able to survive extreme weather events, and are more susceptible to toxic chemicals, temperature changes and diseases, among other factors. Climate change poses a major threat to children and young people’s health, nutrition, education, development, survival and future potential.The climate crisis is a child rights crisis. The futures of billions of children depend on it.” They can do so by committing to strengthening the resilience of services that children depend upon, and by cutting emissions faster and deeper. Yet, while the outlook is dire, world leaders at COP26 have a significant, time-sensitive opportunity to redirect the terrible path we are on. “Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing this generation, with 1 billion children at extremely high risk. “COP26 must be the COP for children,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. GLASGOW, 1 November 2021 – UNICEF will be at COP26 to ensure that the climate crisis is recognized as a crisis for children and their rights, to promote approaches to decrease climate risk for those who are most vulnerable, and to support children and young people’s participation in COP26 as part of efforts to support children and young people’s participation in climate-related decision-making.

Extreme events climate change infographic