The period from before birth until 8 years of age is a time of rapid physical, cognitive, and social development. The quality of this development depends on the care that children receive during this time, as well as their physical environment. Children are disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate change because it affects the quality and continuity of their care, as well as their physical environments.
Learnings from Stellenbosch and Monterrey
Cities need to place young children at the center of climate action because the bulk of population growth (and therefore the concentration of young children) in the near- and medium-term is projected to take place in cities, and specifically cities in the Majority World.
In March 2023, Capita hosted the first Child-Centered City Climate Policy to Action Lab in Stellenbosch, South Africa. It brought together over 30 multidisciplinary specialists in climate change and early childhood development from across the African continent and Europe to workshop approaches to placing young children at the heart of climate change policies and strategies in cities.
In May 2023, the second Child-Centered City Climate Policy to Action Lab took place in Monterrey, Mexico. The meeting brought together more than 40 people working at the intersection of early childhood, development, urban planning and research, to explore how we can ensure the prosperity of young children in cities in the era of climate change.
About this event
After the first two Policy to Action Labs, we come together to share our learnings and discuss opportunities to collaborate as we explore the future of cities with children at the center of their climate policies.
Ankita Chachra, Senior Fellow, Capita, will moderate a discussion with Nicole Biondi, Vice-Chair, Capita Board of Directors, and Eva Fernández Garza, Manager, Early Childhood Development, FEMSA Foundation. Nicole designed and facilitated the first Lab in Stellenbosch, and Eva co-organized the Lab in Monterrey, along with partners from Tec de Monterrey.
A key message from both the Stellenbosch and Monterrey labs is that the responsibility for mitigating the impact of climate change on children should be institutionalized within cities, municipalities, and other local government structures. With this in mind, we will use this space to talk about the challenges cities are facing in putting children at the center of their policies, strategies and actions, and explore innovative global solutions.