“A Platform to Mobilize Children Globally to Influence Climate Finance, Policy Makers in Favor of the Global South“
Rationale: Introducing the Global Children’s Climate Summit
Today’s children and future generations will bear a disproportionate share of the burden of climate change, which will affect their well-being through many direct, indirect, and societal pathways. The climate crisis is fundamentally and irreversibly reshaping our world, with serious consequences for current and future generations of children’s rights. This impact will disproportionately affect girls, children from low and middle-income countries, children with disabilities, refugee and internally displaced children, separated and unaccompanied children, and children in conflict settings, among others. They bear the brunt of the losses and damage caused by climate change to education, health and human capital, land, cultural heritage, indigenous and local knowledge, and biodiversity
Children are disproportionately affected by changes in their environments due to their unique metabolism, physiology, and developmental needs. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that children are not likely to be adequately represented at the upcoming COP28 as most delegates will be adults and some youth.
The Global Children’s Climate Summit (GCCS) Alignment with Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The GCCS contributes to child participation in climate action by engaging children with the COP28 youth envoy and youth advocates. This aligns with the broader United Nations initiatives to involve children in decision-making processes that affect their lives and future.The Global Children’s Climate Summit (GCCS) can be aligned with several relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to strengthen its impact and contribute to broader sustainable development efforts. Here’s how the GCCS aligns with each of the mentioned SDGs:
SDG13: Climate Action
The main focus of the GCCS is climate action, seeking to raise awareness and act on climate change and its catastrophic effects.The summit's objective to create a global movement of children advocating for climate adaptation and mitigation aligns directly with SDG 13.Additionally, the emphasis on climate finance and forest protection supports the goal of combating climate change and its impacts.
SDG 10:Reducing Inequalities
While the direct alignment with SDG 10 is not explicitly mentioned in the GCCS proposal, it indirectly addresses reducing inequalities through its inclusive approach. By involving disadvantaged children and young people and ensuring representation of various backgrounds, the summit seeks to empower children as champions of change, promoting equality in addressing climate challenges.
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
While not explicitly stated in the proposal, the GCCS indirectly aligns with SDG 9 through its emphasis on stopping the abuse of resources, particularly mentioning extraction and mining in Africa. By promoting climate action and awareness, the summit supports sustainable and responsible practices in industries and infrastructure.
SDG 4: Quality Education
The GCCS aims to facilitate capacity building sessions, child-led discussions and workshops on climate change, which enhances climate education for young participants.By involving girls and boys in the climate change discourse and building advocacy skills, the summit promotes quality education and learning opportunities, which aligns with SDG 4.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities
Though not the primary focus, the GCCS indirectly contributes to SDG 11 by advocating for a climate-adaptable and resilient world.By engaging in discussions on climate change and future green cities, the summit supports sustainable development efforts related to cities and communities. The Children will participate in the "Green Cities on Wheels" cycling event that will begin at the Nairobi National Park to Karura Forest, then KTTV in Gigiri.
SDG 14: Life Below Water
The GCCS's focus on climate action, including water-related aspects, contributes to broader efforts to protect life below water and marine ecosystems from the impacts of climate change.The mention of various goals, such as Goal 1 (Ending poverty), Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Employability), and Goal 5 (Gender Equality), shows the proposal's consideration for broader sustainable development principles.
GCCS Specific Objectives
1. Promote Child Participation and mobilize girls and boys to share their opinions regarding the impact of climate change on their lives.
2. To conduct accelerated certified climate training to children and adolescents during the GCCS.
3. Engagement with the COP28 youth envoy, and youth advocates in a bid to promote their delegated representation at COP28 and key decision-making spaces involving children.
4. Promote commitment at the highest political levels, to goals and strategies for ensuring development of children as key elements in the development of all countries.
5. Build advocacy skills to promote awareness of environmental child rights legislation to reflect on the child rights violations associated with the climate change crisis and get proposed solutions from the affected girls and boys.
6. To explore the utilization of technologies like artificial intelligence AI, drones, and mobile technology for climate solutions.
7. To develop a global document that will be a voice and action for children that will be the main outcome statement and global children’s climate action strategy to attain the right to survival as well as equal participation in all spaces despite being children.
Expected Outcomes
- 1. Identify child rights violations associated with the climate change crisis as well as possible solutions from the viewpoint of children.
- 2. Built children's advocacy skills to promote awareness of environmental child rights legislation.
- 3.Broadened the understanding of children & people on climate change issues
- 4. Increased participation of children in activities related to climate change.
- 5. To promote active climate change child rights activists.
- 6. Increased embedding of climate change and conservative into all levels of education curriculums globally.
- 7. Children certified in accelerated climate capacity building.
Join Together For Climate Action
Kenya Teachers Technology College, Gigiri, Kenya
31st August 2023 – 2nd Sept 2023
Methodology of the Engagement
The methodology of the Global Children’s Climate Summit (GCCS) involves a structured approach to achieve its specific objectives and expected outcomes. It is designed to ensure the active participation and engagement of children in the climate change discourse, providing them with a platform to voice their concerns and ideas. The methodology can be outlined as follows:
• Child-led Approach: The summit is organized and led by the children themselves, with a child-led committee responsible for planning, coordinating, and initiating the event. This ensures that children are at the forefront of the decision-making process and actively involved in shaping the agenda.
• Inclusive Participation: The summit aims to mobilize and involve both children and adolescent girls and boys on from various backgrounds to share their opinions and experiences regarding the impact of climate change on their lives, including adolescents. Inclusivity is emphasized to create a diverse and representative platform for discussion.
• Creche: Since the idealist Ellyanne started her passion at the age of 4 years, the GCCS will also include a creche of kids 4 year to 7 years who will participate in a separate tent by drawing and colouring their interpretation of climate change, with the support of teachers
• Workshops and Discussions: The summit spans three days and includes workshops, panel discussions, and interactive sessions where children can voice their concerns, ideas, and proposed solutions related to climate change. These sessions facilitate engagement, collaboration, and the exchange of knowledge among participants.
• COP28 Youth Envoy and Advocates: The summit aims to facilitate the engagement of children with the COP28 youth envoy and youth advocates. This provides children and adolescents with the opportunity to be represented in key decision-making spaces involving climate change, ACS, UNGA 78 and COP28.
• Communique Outcome Statement: A global document, named the “Outcome Statement” or “Global Children’s Climate Action Strategy” will be developed by the Children during the summit. This document serves as the voice and action plan for the children, outlining their demands and as- pirations for climate action. A communique is issued, featuring the voices of girls and boys, clearly communicating their demands and expectations from the GCCS 2023 and COP28 negotiators. This communique is included in the official statement by the COP28 Youth Envoy during her address.
• Award & Gala Diner: The end of GCCS will culminate into an award ceremony to recognize children, leaders, companies, Embassies, development banks, children-organizationson who have done the most on climate action and children rights.