Dear Prime Minister,
We, the future of India, the children, are blaring the Red Alert for climate. We’re uncertain if we will even live to be 30 years old. Our future is hanging by a thread because children born over the past year will on average face 7 times more scorching heatwaves during their lives than their grandparents under original Paris Agreement emission reduction.*
We have not contributed to climate crisis facing the people and the planet and yet our generation will face the maximum impact! How can this be fair? The time to act is now! Later is too late.
Children don’t vote, but we are 41 percent of India’s population. We have the power of OUR voices. And YOU have the power to make critical suggestions at the COP26 Summit and truly represent the 1.3 billion people of India. We know the positive impacts for children that could take place if governments dramatically accelerate their efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.
Did you know that additional lifetime exposure of newborns to heatwaves could be reduced by 45%, droughts by 39%, river floods by 38%, crop failures by 28% and wildfires by 10% if we managed to limit warming?!*
We need you by the side of our future, we need you to stand with children and future generations.
Don’t forget to share this in your network. Together we must sound the #RedAlertOnClimate now as “later” will be too “late”
| Zeus Raaj |
Dear Prime Minister,
We, the future of India, the children, are blaring the Red Alert for climate. We’re uncertain if we will even live to be 30 years old. Our future is hanging by a thread because children born over the past year will on average face 7 times more scorching heatwaves during their lives than their grandparents under original Paris Agreement emission reduction.*
We have not contributed to climate crisis facing the people and the planet and yet our generation will face the maximum impact! How can this be fair? The time to act is now! Later is too late.
Children don’t vote, but we are 41 percent of India’s population. We have the power of OUR voices. And YOU have the power to make critical suggestions at the COP26 Summit and truly represent the 1.3 billion people of India. We know the positive impacts for children that could take place if governments dramatically accelerate their efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.
Did you know that additional lifetime exposure of newborns to heatwaves could be reduced by 45%, droughts by 39%, river floods by 38%, crop failures by 28% and wildfires by 10% if we managed to limit warming?!*
We need you by the side of our future, we need you to stand with children and future generations.
Together we can fix it.
1. Government should plan as per latest research
When crafting nationally determined climate action plans, governments must leverage data and the latest research, as well as allocate funding to accelerate inclusive, child and youth-centered climate policies and action to safeguard children from the impacts of the climate crisis.
2. Spread Climate Change Awareness
Governments must do more to educate children and young people from the beginning especially in school to build better understanding of the climate crisis and inspire action among their peers and adults
- There is a need for more public awareness and engagement of children on ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ as appropriate. This would inculcate the sustainable life practices at an early age contributing to long term conservation of environment.
- There is a need to institute child-friendly mechanisms and platforms both virtually and physically with an objective to facilitate children’s effective engagement in climate change related issues. The decentralized decision making process must include provisions related to ‘participation of children’ and representation of children’s voices from the local governments to the Parliamentary committees towards climate solutions and sustainable solutions.
3. Change mindsets with one story and one step at a time
Powerful stories can change the world and help mitigate the climate crisis, especially stories from those living on the frontlines of our changing climate. We must highlight the stories, lived-experience and solutions of young people and those most impacted by the climate crisis when driving climate campaigns, taking action or implementing policies.
4. Create platforms for us to take action
Youth in India are taking bold action to stand up for the climate through social media, impactful campaigns and on ground action. Government must establish, encourage and recognise platforms and spaces to facilitate children’s safe and effective formal engagement in climate conversations/
5. Plant trees and conserve natural resources!
With increasing water scarcity and extreme climatic events in the form of heavy rainfalls, there is a need to strengthen the initiatives on water conservation and management. These measures are important to be decentralized at community level for partnership and ownership. With majority of children understanding the importance of forestation as suggested by the findings of the survey, there is a need to capitalize on this understanding in organizing afforestation drive, including on waste and degraded lands.
We deserve a plan for our future! Time is running out and our next move will change the course of our world. There is only one planet we can live on and we must protect it at all costs. This threat is real and urgent.
We urge you and world leaders at UN Climate Change Conference 2021 to become the voice of future generations. And we know that India can lead with example!
Thank you,
Children of India
(Bal Raksha Bharat)
*Born into Climate Crisis
https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/library/ born-climate-crisis-why-we-must-act-now-secure-childrens-rights
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