EU Green Week update

One of Plan's Green Week youth delegates interviews Czech Minister of Environment, Ladislav Miko

Children supported by Plan offices from around the world were active last week as part of the European Union Green Week.

One of the key activities was a youth event in which young people supported by Plan offices from Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands, UK and Indonesia took the floor.

And at the Plan Youth Juice Bicycle and in the Plan Youth Café the young people interviewed high-level politicians such as the newly elected Member of the European Parliament Reinhard Buetikofer (German Greens), the Czech Environment Minister Ladislav Miko and other European political leaders about how climate change and other environmental issues are affecting their lives. They discussed why children are particularly vulnerable to climate change and why children must be involved in EU policy formulation and decision-making.

The European Commission made a short news video about the young people and their activities during the week and posted it on the daily news section of the EU Green Week website. You can watch this video, which features Nurul from Indonesia, below.

Plan aims to ensure that Children’s Voices are heard in the climate change debate. Children are more than passive victims; they can contribute to preventing and adapting to climate change.

“Children must have a say in the changing climate debate. They are the most vulnerable to climate change impacts, yet have not been provided the opportunity to contribute at all to this discourse,” said Deepali Sood, head of Plan EU Liaison Office.

Climate change is expected to affect more than 175 million children annually by 2010. Children are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they make up a large part of the population in regions that are likely to be badly affected, particularly in Africa and Asia.