Children and the Climate Crisis: A Call for Birth Equity

Half the World's Children Face Extreme Climate Risks

Climate change is posing significant threats to children around the world. According to UNICEF, nearly half of the world's children live in regions where the health and safety risks posed by climate change are extremely high. By 2050, almost all children will be exposed to heat waves, leading to numerous health concerns, especially for younger children.

Wealthy Nations' Lack of Responsibility

The inability or unwillingness of rich nations to curb their emissions has exacerbated the climate crisis. Those who bear the greatest responsibility have spent decades funding denialism while robbing children of the future they deserve. They have exploited the world's resources while hoarding wealth for themselves.

COP29: A Glaring Example of Inaction

The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), held in Baku, Azerbaijan, exemplified how rich countries continue to refuse remedial action to secure the children's and the planet's future. The conference was widely criticized for the wealthy world's failure to adequately address developing nations' critical climate-related funding needs.

Developing Countries Bear the Brunt

According to a 2024 analysis by the International Institute for Environment and Development, the poorest countries and those most vulnerable to climate change spend "more than twice as much to service their debts as they receive to fight the climate crisis."

Case Study: Sri Lanka Struggles

Sri Lanka is an island nation highly susceptible to climate change impacts. In 2024, Hafsa Jamel from the Lanka Environment Fund pointed out, "With 33 percent of our population living along vulnerable coastlines and facing risks from rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and frequent natural disasters, the challenges are immense."

Reshaping Climate Policy: Birth Equity

We need to shift the focus of climate policy to children's rights and ensure birth equity as a fundamental consideration. These rights include a healthy environment and a fair start in life, and they should not simply guarantee survival but ensure circumstances where each child can thrive.

White Supremacy and Wealth Inequality

The United States government and governments around the world are urging women to have more children, but with little or no safeguards and resources, especially in rich countries. Reduced fertility rates threaten the economic growth that created the climate crisis in the first place.

Welfare Programs Cancel Out Progress

Many animal and environmental nonprofit organizations contribute to the problem of perpetuating the problems they claim to resolve. By not emphasizing sustainable family planning and birth equity in their policies, they worsen the climate crisis and push more animals into factory farming.

The False Promise of Growth

Emphasizing sustainable practices is essential, but these alone cannot resolve the climate crisis. The push for growth is setting us toward a future of ecocide and extinction.

Inequity of Opportunity Begins at Birth

The wealth gap between Black and white families has worsened over time, resulting in greater levels of wealth for white families, which allows them to leverage advantages across generations.

Birth Equity Entitlements Are Key

We need to implement birth equity-based planning and distribute baby bonds equitably to ensure that children have equal opportunities, smaller or more sustainable families, and greater opportunities for future generations.

This article was produced by Earth | Food | Life, a project of the Independent Media Institute.