Report: The coldest year of the rest of their lives: Protecting children from the escalating impacts of heatwaves

On 25 October 2022, UNICEF released a report: “The coldest year of the rest of their lives: Protecting children from the escalating impacts of heatwaves”.

The report highlights that while the climate crisis intensifies, so do the heat waves, as they become longer, stronger, more widespread and more frequent. Heatwaves already pose a threat to millions of children around the world. The work of our collaborative team from across disciplines and institutions points out that by 2050, virtually every child on earth will face more frequent heatwaves, even if the world manages to achieve ‘low greenhouse gas emissions’.

The research highlights that children experience, and will continue to experience, more severe effects of heatwaves than adults, as they lack the same ability to regulate their body temperatures.

UNICEF and the research team urge the world leaders ahead of COP27 to take action and: 

• PROTECT children from climate devastation by adopting social services. 

• PREPARE children to live in a climate-changed world.   

• PRIORITISE children and young people in climate finance and resources.   

• PREVENT a climate catastrophe by drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions to keep 1.5 degrees Celsius alive. 

The report leverages the research of the Children's Climate Risk Index (CCRI) project.