UNICEF’s Planetary Crisis Concerns

• UNICEF’s report highlights an unprecedented planetary crisis, with nearly half of the world’s children living in countries at high risk of climate and environmental hazards.

• The report highlights three long-term global forces: demographic shifts, climate and environmental crises, and frontier technologies.

• Climate destabilization, biodiversity collapse, and pollution threats are intensifying globally, posing a significant threat to children’s lives.

• Children’s developing bodies are particularly vulnerable to these hazards, with air pollution, rising temperatures, mosquito populations, and extreme weather affecting their respiratory health and development.

• Extreme weather limits food production and access, increasing children’s risk of food insecurity.

• Climate-related disasters can cause feelings of helplessness, trauma, and anxiety in children.

• By the 2050s, the global child population is projected to stabilize at around 2.3 billion, with regional shifts affecting child needs and digital infrastructure.

• The report warns that digitalization can empower children but also exposes them to online risks, including sexual exploitation and abuse.