A discussion paper on child sensitivity and 2020-2021 nationally determined contributions (NDCs)

The climate crisis is a child rights crisis. It is a direct threat to a child’s ability to survive, grow and thrive. Children and young people are the least responsible for climate change yet will bear the greatest burden of its impacts. Therefore, it is critical that national climate policies that set forth the priorities for climate response in countries are child sensitive.

This is an interim discussion paper that will be updated after all remaining NDCs are submitted. It demonstrates a gap in child sensitivity of climate policies, explains the importance of including the needs and priorities of children and young people in policies and plans to benefit the whole of society, identifies best practices, and provides guidance for policymakers on how to meaningfully partner with children and young people as climate and environmental champions for a sustainable response.

For more information, please visit: https://www.unicef.org/documents/child-sensitive-climate-environment-policies

Related resource: Investment Case for Child-Centred Climate Actions in the Context of COVID-19 in East Asia and the Pacific