As we begin 2026, the intersections between climate change and child protection are more urgent than ever. Across continents, climate-related shocks are reshaping risks facing children and eroding the systems meant to protect them. Discussions throughout 2025, from Nairobi to Belém, underscored an unmistakable message: child protection cannot be climate-blind.
At the 3rd International Conference on Child Protection in Africa, held in Nairobi in November, speakers highlighted the growing intersections between climate change, humanitarian crises, and child protection. From food insecurity and water scarcity to displacement and conflict over natural resources, climate impacts are exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities and weakening already fragile child protection and social service systems. More children in Africa are now displaced by climate events than by conflict, despite the continent contributing the least to global carbon emissions.
The conference emphasized that climate change is intensifying health and nutrition challenges, disrupting access to education, and straining kinship care and community support structures. Sub-themes brought valuable insights: children and young people are increasingly shaping climate and protection agendas; community-led initiatives are central to resilience; and schools remain critical protective entry points. There is also a strong push to reinforce legal frameworks and expand and equip the social service workforce to ensure systems remain responsive in a climate-affected world.
This urgency carried into COP30 in Belém, Brazil, which took place at a critical moment. Global efforts to limit temperature rise remain significantly off-track, while climate-related disasters continue to intensify and disproportionately harm those least responsible—especially children and vulnerable communities. Although COP30 produced notable progress—including the agreement to triple adaptation finance by 2035 and unprecedented recognition of Indigenous land rights and gender-responsive climate action—major gaps remain.
Child-focused actors raised serious concerns: current national commitments deliver less than 15% of the emissions reductions needed to keep 1.5°C alive; adaptation finance still falls short of what is required to protect children in high-risk countries; and climate action continues to overlook child rights, child protection, child-sensitive social protection, and gender-responsive systems. Children’s participation, while increasing, remains inconsistent and under-supported.
Both gatherings affirmed a vital truth: building climate-resilient societies is inseparable from building strong, inclusive, and well-financed social services systems for children. Climate shocks are already driving family separation, child labor, harmful practices, displacement, and violence. Social service systems, public finance mechanisms, and community-based protection structures must be strengthened and adapted for a climate-affected world.
As we move into 2026, the call to action is clear. We must integrate child rights across climate policy and financing; scale predictable, child-sensitive adaptation and social protection investments; strengthen the social service workforce; expand community-led resilience; and institutionalize child and youth participation. COP30 reinforced that resilience will only be achieved if children are centered—not sidelined—in climate decisions. Let 2026 be the year our sector moves decisively from acknowledging this truth to acting on it.