On March 24, our Lenten calendar, Tread Lightly, encouraged us to read about the situation for children around the globe. The Environmental Team of the Justice Committee is offering some more information.
A UNICEF report, titled The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis, presents the Children’s Climate Risk Index, which uses data to generate new global evidence on how many children are currently exposed to climate change-induced impacts, such as cyclones and heatwaves.
Approximately 1 billion children—nearly half of all children—live in one of the 33 countries classified as extremely high-risk for climate change impact. These children face a deadly combination of exposure to multiple climate and environmental shocks with high vulnerability due to inadequate essential services. And yet, these 33 countries are among those least responsible for creating the climate crisis, emitting just 9% of global CO2 emissions. In contrast, the 10 highest emitting countries—including the U.S.—account for nearly 70% of global emissions. We must do better for the future of the planet and these children, engage in environmental actions, and call on our leaders to write and support policies that reduce use of fossil fuels and CO2 emissions.
Read the full report at tiny.cc/child-rights-crisis.