Climate change is a human rights issue. Any plan, solution or action to tackle climate change in Scotland must respond to the needs, and rights of everyone living here and this means listening to the diversity of views and lived experiences of Scotland’s citizens. This includes children who equally have the right to have opinions and for these opinions to be heard and taken seriously as outlined in Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
“It’s up to you, me and all of us.”
Climate Changemakers
Tackling climate change has been a key issue for children across Scotland since Children’s Parliament’s beginning in 1996. In December 2020, Children’s Parliament heard from 5,000 children across Scotland through a survey called Wee Voices, Big Ideas identifying key issues for children in 2020. 44% of children responding to the surveys voted ‘climate change’ as the most important issue for 2021. Children have repeatedly told us that they do not have the chance to voice their worries and ideas around climate change. This is especially true for children under the age of 14 years.
We are delighted to share our Climate Changemakers impact report with you, accessed here. This report captures the journey from our work together from October 2020 to February 2022. Reflecting on our experiences, this report highlights the process, learnings, reflections and impact so far, as well as our recommendations for the future realisation of children’s rights in the context of climate action and deliberative democracy.
The Climate Changemakers have promoted children’s human rights, participation, and engagement with adult decision-makers to tackle the climate emergency through a series of national and international events since June 2021. These included:
Children’s Parliament created the Climate Changemakers toolkit. The Climate Changemakers, 12 Members of Children’s Parliament, shared their ideas and helped the resource development.
2008
Children’s Climate Change Project
In spring 2008, 20 children who were Members of the Children’s Parliament through several Community Groups operating at the time, were invited to take part in the Children’s Climate Change Project. This innovative project engaged children in the global debate on climate change and particularly the national debate on the Scottish Climate Change Bill which was being developed by Scottish Government.
The Scottish Government did not directly target children in the formal consultations around the Bill. The organisations that developed the project felt that children should be engaged in this debate, not only as citizens in their own right but also because they have arguably the biggest stake in the decisions made about what we do to tackle climate change.
The MCPs and their mural participated in the 2008 Festival of Politics, and two MCPs, accompanied by the mural, were invited by Scottish Government to Brussels in June 2009 to present at an EU Green Week event ‘Climate Change – Act and Adapt’.
2021
Scotland’s Climate Assembly
As Scotland’s Climate Assembly members must be over the age of 16, the secretariat invited Children’s Parliament to support the participation and engagement of children under 16, to ensure their views, experiences and ideas are part of the discussions and calls to action going forward. To capture the diversity of children’s views and experiences, and to echo the process of the Assembly, Children’s Parliament worked with 100 children across Scotland from 10 schools. The children were a mixed gender, income and ethnicity group representing both urban and rural communities.
Supported by Scotland’s Climate Assembly and The Global Legislators Organisation.
