Children take to the streets to call for immediate climate action
On the 25th of March students across Melbourne and the country marched in the streets to call out the failure to address the climate emergency as part of the School Strike 4 Climate.
“I would like a future that’s liveable, it’s as simple as that,” said Emma, 15, who took part in the protest.
Students organisers Shuzhong, 14, Mabel, 15, and Emma, 15, show their placards calling for climate action.
As the costs of responding to disasters like floods, fires, droughts and cyclones continue to rise, creating climate policies that take into account the needs and circumstances of current and future generations of children is increasingly becoming an economic necessity. Cutting emissions to reduce the frequency of such disasters will help keep more children in school, avoid increases in malnutrition, and ultimately save the lives of many of the world’s most vulnerable children.
Failure to do so will burden children with the most dangerous impacts of the climate crisis. In Australia, children born in 2020 can expect to experience four times as many heatwaves, three times as many droughts and 1.5 times as many bushfires compared to older generations, unless drastic action to curb emissions is taken, according to a recent study. This underscores what children around the world have already said: that immediate climate action is a matter of intergenerational justice. Yet children aren’t always listened to in a world where parents and politicians make the decisions that govern their lives.
Student protest organiser Shuzhong, 14, leads the demonstration for immediate climate action.
“I’m here today because I don’t think the government is doing enough to stop climate change…I don’t feel heard, I feel like they’re not listening,” said Harriet, 13.
Save the Children has been ensuring there’s a powerful voice for children for more than 100 years. Today our focus on creating long-term change for children is just as strong, which is why we’re amplifying the voices of these protesters to make sure they can be heard.