Early Childhood Matters 2021

Climate change is especially dangerous for young children. Yet discussions about climate seldom refer to the fate of young children. They should.

This edition of Early Childhood Matters is dedicated to examining the many ways that climate change and early childhood intersect. In 34 articles, we hear from leading policymakers, researchers, educators, urban planners and activists from around the world, about how to both develop ecological resilience and improve well-being in the early years.

We also spotlight a critical fact: many of the measures that improve life for young children and their families also make cities more climate resilient.

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Evidence

From heatwaves to air pollution, how climate change affects children and their caregivers

Governments of the world must prioritise children, amid climate change

Helen Clark

Climate change-induced water insecurity endangers children

Kelly Ann Naylor

Children growing up on the move

Nicoló Filippo Rosso

Climate change is forcing young children into high-risk urban slums

Lucy Earle

Rising heat poses dire risks to small children

Oliver Milman

Climate change threatens newborns in the USA

Bruce Bekkar et al.

Air pollution and stunting: evidence from Indonesia

Sumi Mehta et al.

“A newborn baby is effectively a smoker in Delhi”

Bhavreen Kandhari

How climate change affects pregnancy and early childhood in an indigenous Kenyan village

Naomi Lanoi Leleto et al.

Your discarded cell phone harms children, pregnant women and the planet

Julia Gorman et al.

Helping families to cope with trauma in Lebanon

Khaled Nasser

Compelling ideas from around the world to combine climate action and healthy child development

Reclaiming green space in Lima

Jorge Muñoz et al.

In Addis Ababa, learning through outdoor play

Jantirar Abay

Making every child feel that the city genuinely cares

Luiz Fernando Machado

Tactical urbanism focused on children can help cities adapt to climate change

Avantika Arjuna et al.

Building “the secret city” for children

Tami Gavrieli et al.

“There are huge risks in raising children under what amounts to protective house arrest”

Richard Louv

Transforming Rotterdam’s schoolyards

Ian Mostert

Learning from Prinsenland

Francine Houben

“Play is all about allowing natural curiosity and exploration”

Ram Eisenberg

Shielding young children from air pollution in Latin America

Marcelo Mena Carrasco et al.

Toxic air and inequality in a London borough

Magali Thomson

Improving indoor air quality in Mongolia’s kindergartens

Ulzisaikhan Sereeter

Streets for Life: lowering urban speed limit benefits children and the climate

Saul Billingsley

Building safe sidewalks to save children’s lives

Carly Gilbert-Patrick

New Approaches

Building movements that put children at the heart of the climate conversation

“My mother’s early years triggered her love for the environment”

Wanjira Mathai

Don’t say “It’ll be all right”

Frida Berry Eklund

Abu Dhabi incorporates climate change into children’s learning journeys

Sana Mohamed Suhail et al.

“I firmly believe that we should engage with children when they are young”

Xoli Fuyani

Plant-based diets: better for the planet but are they healthy for children?

Enriqueta Román-Riechmann

Children are central to Brazil’s climate change movement

J.P. Amaral

How I became a mother activist

Maya Mailer

Four tips for turning parents into climate activists

Frida Berry Eklund et al.

Five lessons from a youth climate activist

Almaaz Mudaly

Issue Colophon

Executive Director: Cecilia Vaca Jones
 Managing editor: Hannah Rothschild
 Guest editor: Pamela Druckerman
 Contributing editors: K.A. Dilday and Andrew Wright
 Text editing: Margaret Mellor
 Production assistant: Lynda Hoek
 Design: Hallo Mondo
 Illustrations: Cléa Dieudonné
 Social media consultant: Jessica Wright
 Online platform: Wolf&Player
 Communication: Melissa van Well-Dijkshoorn and Alexis Camejo

Social media package

Hoping this issue of Early Childhood Matters is a valuable resource for you, we encourage you to share within your network. Below some infographics, including a GIF, and more detailed guidelines with sample social media messages for you to share.

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