Change to Arrest Climate Change

ASSESSMENT-2
CHANGE TO ARREST CLIMATE CHANGE

Introduction
The word sustainability immediately brings to mind, the damage being caused to
environment has resulted in climate change and its socio-economic fallout. It is now well
established that unrestrained human activity is the main factor responsible for climate change.
The efforts to achieve economic growth are leading to large-scale deforestation and
indiscriminate and excessive exploitation of natural resources, which are depleting by the
day. It also causes environmental pollution, particularly the air pollution being caused by
greenhouse gases, which is the main cause behind climate change. The associated problems
like aggravating water crisis, declining farm productivity and rising global temperatures have
raised global concerns about the sustainability of the economic development models being
pursued in various countries.
What is Sustainability?
Global sustainability can be defined as the capability to meet the needs of the present without
compromising the ability to meet the needs of future generations. The concept of sustainable
development also can be interpreted as an approach to development that seeks to balance
different needs of humans against economic, environmental and social awareness we face as
a society.
Generally, development is driven by a particular need, and the wider or future impacts are
never considered. Large-scale changes effected by this kind of approach have resulted in
major problems ranging from financial crises to changes in global climate.
While climate change is affecting everyone, the children are the most vulnerable and already
suffering the consequences. Various governments have come out policies and programmes to
mitigate the impact of climate change, however, these initiatives have do not have adequate
focus on impact of climate change and environmental degradation on children.
UNICEF Australia is seriously pursuing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
which include 44 child-related indicators that provide points for action to support children
facing hardship, globally.
Role of UNICEF

Children and young people have high stakes as their future depends on the success of the
initiatives being taken to combat climate change. TheUNICEFhas been advocating and
promoting the cause of children and working with governments and communities to protect
their rights.It is committed to increase its contribution to environmental sustainabilityand
supports initiatives of the government to deal with related issues. In Australia, it carried out
surveys to ascertain the views of children and young people on issue.
The latest UNICEF Young Ambassador Report -2019 entitled “Climate for Change” brought
out that children and young people in Australia are overwhelmingly concerned about the
threat of climate change and the apparent reluctance of successive governments to take
effective action to mitigate its impact.Ay-overwhelming majority of young people in the 14-
17 age group (86 per cent) viewed climate change as some form of threat to their safety. As
many as 95 percent were worried about pollution, a major threat to sustainability, and 64
percent of them considered plastic waste most important. A majority (63 percent) worried
about ocean and air pollution, followed by littering (56 per cent) and issue of recycling and
re-use (53 per cent), They were also concerned threat of extinction of animals (63 percent),
deforestation and destruction of the Great Barrier Reef of (59 percent). Common points of
discussion included the overuse of plastics.
The UNICEF aptly entitled its report as “Climate for Change” as a vast majority of young
people in Australia, (73 per cent) believes that climate change caused by human activity is
affecting the world “a lot” now. They argued that climate change was an emergent issue that
called for immediate action. It cannot be deferred for the convenience of people in power
who believe economic growth should be prioritised ahead of the environment.
Most of them (75 per cent) waned Australia to take lead and set example by taking firm
action on climate change to help save the world from its worsening effects.Exceptional
circumstances of climate change, where the gains of current generation appear to be in
conflict with the rights of people in the future, a long-term solution can be found relying on
the concept of intergenerational justice.
The UNICEF report also brought out that children have great expectation from the Australian
Government that it should take lead in climate change action and invest in the five-point
“Platform of Action” to give them a fair chance in life and a sustainable future. They want
effective action that reassures that Australia is a healthy and safe country to grow up.