UN claims climate change is 'violence against children'

The U.N. has initiated backing for global youth, demanding national administrations to formulate climate-ready environmental policies.

Reuters reported Monday the U.N. Child Rights Committee's General Comment No. 26, urging governments to safeguard the physical and mental health of children most vulnerable to climate change impacts, defining environmental degradation as a form of structural violence. U.N. General Comments, offering detailed guidelines for U.N. treaties, aren't legally binding but set standards for assessing national reports.

The Committee also urged pathways for children to access justice, including removing legal barriers they face when suing governments for environmental harm. Over two years, the Committee received more than 16,000 contributions from children across more than 100 countries. More kids are suing governments over climate change, following Greta Thunberg's 'School Strike for Climate.' On August 14, a U.S. Montana state court ruled for 16 youths suing their state agencies for approving fossil fuel projects violating their right to a healthy life. Next month, Portuguese teens who sued 32 governments for environmental harm will testify in the European Court of Human Rights.


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