Child-Ministers and young earth-proactivists associated with Civil Society Organisations from across the country, with the support of UNICEF and NINEISMINE, joined hands to organise a National Inclusive Children’s Climate Parliament to initiate a dialogue on climate change with 11 of MPs, in the presence of Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani, and the Chair of the Parliamentary Group for Children.

Stressing on the need for taking urgent and quick action to prevent climate change, the Vice President, in his keynote address, stressed that, “We merely have 10 to 12 years to influence the course of climate change before its adverse impact become irreversible. In a way, the next few years are our only chance for ensuring that our future generations have a chance to lead healthy lives.

“We cannot allow apathy in our action to jeopardize our future, our children’s future. Child Rights should be interwoven into key national climate change and adoption strategies, policies and planning document. It is our response to climate change to include a child-centric approach and to do this the best way is through platforms like this.”

UNICEF, in partnership with NINEISMINE, organised this National Children’s Climate Parliament which took place digitally. It enabled young citizens of India to proactively engage with key duty bearers and policymakers on climate action. The questions posed by child-parliamentarians, to their elected representatives, at the national level, focused on climate change and, in particular, its impact on children who have inherited this problem and its effects from adults.

Those present at this child-led climate parliament included M Venkaiah Naidu, Smriti Zubin Irani, Vandana Chavan, and Yasmin Ali Haque.

Members of Parliament from different states were also present, namely Amar Patnaik and Sasmit Patra from Orissa, Arwind Sawant from Maharashtra, AmeeYajnik from Gujarat, Krishna Lavu from Andhra Pradesh and Banda Prakash from Telangana, along with other MPs from across India.