Child-centered climate action: the urgent call ahead of COP30

• In a simulated climate negotiation called “the Children’s COP,” representatives of girls, boys, and adolescents set out proposals for authorities to prioritize Latin American children, thus exercising their right to participation.

Girls, boys, and adolescents from different organizations in Peru gathered at the Children’s COP, a participation space where they drafted their proposals ahead of COP30, which will be held in Brazil this year. The goal is for national authorities and global leaders to recognize the many ways the climate crisis is affecting children—especially in Latin America—and to implement appropriate solutions.

The day was designed and carried out as a workshop to help girls and boys strengthen their knowledge of climate governance. It also included activities to build consensus and draft letters calling on authorities and public servants to commit. This process ensures informed and genuine participation, with the broader aim of ensuring that climate public policies include children’s voices.

“What I would ask authorities regarding Climate Change is that they truly guarantee our right to participation, that our voices are heard and taken to COP30,” said Abraham, from REDIME.

Among various topics, the girls and boys emphasized the need to prevent the impacts of climate change on their health, well-being, and learning. They therefore called for stronger emergency response, better infrastructure in schools and communities, and guaranteed pedagogical and technological resources that allow them to continue studying even in crisis contexts.

They also demanded action on issues such as conserving water sources, socio-emotional well-being, and protecting food supply sources. In addition, they opened a debate on the real effects that “eco-anxiety” is having on new generations and how decision-makers should address it.

“Our voice has to reach high-level spaces, because Climate Change also affects our education. For example, when it rains and there are leaks in our school, we can get hurt when the water comes in. Illnesses like the flu can also occur, and serious things can happen at school—and that’s what we don’t want for children,” said Daniela, from MANTHOC.

This event was led by the various organizations that make up the Inter-Institutional Collective on Children and Adolescents, which is part of the Roundtable for the Fight Against Poverty (MCLCP), including Acción por los Niños, World Vision, and Save the Children in Peru, together with the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA), the Youth Task Force to the National Climate Change Commission (GIJ), and the Local Conference of Youth (LCOY). We were also joined by representatives from the Ministry of the Environment, who shared information about the COP with girls, boys, and adolescents.

As a next step, the adolescents will present a public statement with their agreements, hoping these will be channeled by the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM) to COP30. Beyond the Children’s COP, the organizations will carry out various activities to ensure children are taken into account.

FACT

• COP30 will take place from November 10 to 21, 2025, in Belém do Pará, Brazil. This global forum is where world leaders negotiate and decide actions to address the climate crisis. It is a key opportunity to prioritize the agenda of children in Latin America, ensuring their rights, voices, and needs are at the center of climate solutions.