Solomon Islands brings Children’s voice for more Climate Change Action at COP28
The first week of the 28th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai saw lobbyists and climate change movement groups campaigning for more action on climate change.
Among these groups is the ‘Climate Parent Movement for Our Kids Climate’ that consists of mothers from around 40 countries across the globe to voice children’s concerns about climate.
The movement believes that children should live on a healthy planet and the mothers are demanding the end of fossil fuel and speeding up the process of the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund agreed to during the first day of the summit.
They call for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to reduce emissions at the global level.
A member of the Climate Parent Movement for Our Kids Climate
Aydah Gakao of Solomon Islands said severe tropical cyclones and associated damages including sea level rise are some of the effects of climate change that children in Solomon Islands know of.
“Tropical cyclones and associated damages are more visible to kids in the Pacific. Even my own kids are asking for relocation if sea level rise reaches an extreme level”.
“Kids have the right to be happy in their own environment where they call home”.
Luncy Kagendo Mbae from Kenya said the climate would treat people differently if we don’t take good care of it.
She said people including children in Kenya are experiencing el nino season in this time of the year which poses displacements.
“Leaders at COP28 should do less talk and develop plans that would address the impacts of climate change”.
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heidjden revealed in a UNICEF media advisory that “our success or failure in tackling climate change will be judged by two numbers. Keeping 1.5 degrees and protecting the 1 billion child lives that are in jeopardy from this crisis.
He said “the climate crisis is not just changing the planet…but… also changing children. Children’s bodies and minds are uniquely vulnerable to climate change impacts and children are disproportionately affected by this crisis not of their making”.
He calls on leaders to “put children at the heart of the COP28 outcomes, giving unique vulnerabilities, needs and rights the gravity they deserve”.
ENDS///
By Fredrick Kusu
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
This story was produced as part of the 2023 Climate Change Media Partnership fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security