Climate Emergency : the risks to the Child.

What do we mean by 'significant harm' in relation to climate? What are the main threats to children right now? What is their impact? The threats are global - as outlined in the report by Unicef (2022), those who are most vulnerable to the worst impacts of the climate crisis are children. Over half of the world’s 2.2 billion children are in areas that are facing the most severe effects. 

‘Children bear the greatest burden of climate change. Not only are they more vulnerable than adults to the extreme weather, toxic hazards and diseases it causes, but the planet is becoming a more dangerous place to live.’ 

The role of CCPAST is to use the UK legal frameworks to push for climate aware policy and action that places the rights and needs of children first. We act in solidarity with children and those who protect them around the globe. 

You are not asked to solve these global threats, and at CCPAST this is not what we offer. The focus is a child's family, home and community. What can be done in your children's community to mitigate these threats and adapt to what science is telling us they will be exposed to?

Right now, the literature is identifying the following areas of risks and harms to children in the UK:

• Air pollution. There is now a wealth of research around air pollution and its impact on children, and here in the UK 97% of our air contains polluting particles above WHO designated safe legal limits. Air pollution harms children’s health by increasing risks of premature birth, low birthweight, stillbirth, and asthma, including increasingly severe asthma attacks which are dangerous. We have already had our first child death attributable to air pollution - Ella Kissi-Debrah. Her mother, Rosamund, has done incredible work to raise the profile of the dangers of air pollution. Air pollution is also linked to IQ loss and increased risks of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children living in built-up areas with high levels of traffic nearby are at significant risk.

• Chemical pollution. This is a growing threat. The health hazards of chemical pollution have been recognised since the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962, but the problem has worsened since then. Children today are surrounded by an estimated 350 000 manufactured chemicals, many of which pollute the planet and harm human health. In children they increase the risk of birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders, and later cancers. These are all significant physical harms. Children born in industrial areas or areas with high use of agricultural chemicals are at increased risk.  

• Flooding. The UK is an island and so has a particular vulnerability to flooding as a result of sea level rise. Our climate means that as weather patterns become more unstable then extreme storms, flooding and other severe weather events will become more frequent.  The death of Zane Gbangbola in Chertsey in 2014 was a result of the flooding of the Thames. In addition, black mould is becoming increasingly problematic as instances of heavy rainfall and flooding increase. The UK has some of the least insulated housing in Western Europe. This makes our homes more vulnerable to climate impacts. There has already been one recorded child death due to mould - Awaab Ishak. The health impacts and dangers of mould for children are significant.  Children living in coastal and flood-prone areas and more deprived neighbourhoods are particularly at risk. 

• Heatwaves.  These will also become more frequent as the climate becomes more unstable. We are already experiencing more severe heatwaves more often. Children are less able to regulate their body temperature compared to adults. The more heatwaves children are exposed to, the greater the chance of health problems including chronic respiratory conditions, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Babies and young children are at the greatest risk of heat-related mortality. Heatwaves can also affect children’s environments, their safety, nutrition and access to water, and their education and future livelihood.  Evidence has shown that children living in more built-up areas, with less mature tree cover, are more at risk. of heat related injury. Check your locality for heat stress here; https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62243280. We know that trees on city streets can lower temperatures by as much as 7 degrees C.

• Mental health. This is a rapidly growing area of research. Carolyn Hickman's study recognised how anxiety increases for children and young people as they experience their rapidly changing environment and for many it is impacting their daily functioning. This is compounded by their experience that those who should be safeguarding their future are not acting to protect them. This is neglect of a child's basic needs that is causing significant emotional harm. Children need to see that adults are working to protect them, that we are acting to meet their needs as they are unable to do so themselves.

• Food insecurity. With the increasing instability of climate and weather patterns comes the risk of crop failure, which also doubles the risk of war and displacement. Children are at risk both now and in the future of food insecurity. Our food systems in the UK rely on a ‘just in time’ import system where food is imported and taken straight to our supermarket shelves. This makes us especially vulnerable to supply chain issues caused by adverse weather events, war and an environment increasingly inhospitable to crops. Very little of the food we consume is grown on our shores and we lack a connection to where our food comes from. 

• Poverty / Health inequalities. There is evidence in each of the above areas that children are more likely to experience climate harms arising from food insecurity, air pollution, heat stress, chemical pollution and mould if they are from a lower socio-economic background. This is not just true when we look at the impact on a global level, but when we look at it on a national level. This will then disproportionately affect children from discriminated or oppressed groups. We do not think it is a coincidence that the three climate-related deaths of children noted above in the UK are children of colour.