Climate change poses existential risk to children, says paediatrician

Climate change poses an existential risk to children, the UK’s most senior paediatrician has said.

Dr Camilla Kingdon, the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said that extreme weather, pollution, and “unprecedented energy costs” are having a “very real” detrimental effect on young people.

Dr Kingdon said: “Climate change poses an existential risk to the health and wellbeing of all children; however, the current impacts of climate change are not experienced equally.

“Extreme weather, air pollution and unprecedented energy costs are having a very real and detrimental effect on our most vulnerable children and young people.”

She said that healthcare professionals are already seeing its impact across the UK, with children from low-income families facing increased mortality risks.

“Every child is at grave risk of the effects of our changing climate, but none more so than children in lower-income families,” she said.

“These children are facing an increased mortality risk from extreme weather events, exacerbated respiratory conditions from dirty air and even increased rates of cancer, diabetes and obesity.”

Dr Kingdon added that the Government must “take action on poverty and health inequalities” while also emphasising the unequal impact of climate change.

As part of Dr Kingdon’s statement, the RCPCH has made a number of policy recommendations.

The recommendations include that the Government appoints a Cabinet level Minister for Children, and that all four UK Governments commit to engaging with young people when developing climate change and health inequality policies.

The RCPCH also called on all four UK Governments to introduce a statutory obligation to conduct a children’s rights impact assessment when developing policies that impact children and young people.