General Comment on child rights, the environment and climate change: Frequently Asked Questions

The General Comment on child rights, the environment and climate change is a significant step towards holding governments accountable to uphold children’s rights and ensure children live in a clean, green, healthy and sustainable world. The General Comment will serve as authoritative guidance on how children’s rights are impacted by the environmental crisis and what States must do to uphold these rights. This in turn will raise expectations and accountability among governments and UN organizations to meet these universal standards, including in the implementation of international environmental agreements (e.g. the Paris Climate agreement) and national legislation. If any of the rights and principles of the CRC are violated, the comment can serve as a powerful tool for human rights environmental defenders to validate their agenda and demand legislative change.