NCB Now: Comment - Making the children's sector 'climate smart'

Climate change affects the children's sector in terms of the services it provides, its ability to deliver these services, and the costs of future policies aimed at addressing the problems arising from climate change. Children and young people are concerned about how it will impact on their lives and we know vulnerable children and young people will be affected the most. The mission for children's charities is to advocate for children, ensuring that policy and practice supports initiatives that impact positively on their lives now and in the future.

NCB has embarked on a new programme in partnership with the Institute for Development Studies, funded by the Baring Foundation, to help the children's sector become "climate smart". So what can we do? We can help stakeholders identify the hooks for change that on the surface may not appear directly related to climate change, such as supporting neighbourhood strategies that improve health and wellbeing, job opportunities and public transport, and also reduce carbon emissions. We can work with experts to develop tangible impact scenarios that illustrate the likely changes for children, the services we provide, and our organisations, making it easier to validate the action needed. For example, the health or social fallouts, such as children living in poorer conditions.