A Threat to Progress

In recent decades, the world has seen remarkable progress in reducing the number of deaths in children under 5, from 93 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 37 per 1,000 live births in 2022. Despite this progress, however, many of today’s children – and their chance to enjoy good health and well-being throughout their lives – is at risk from the impacts of climate change. This report aims to provide a comprehensive ‘stocktake’ of the impacts of climate change on children across six major hazards that impact their health and well-being: extreme heat, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms, air pollution and ecosystem changes.