Category: News

Alana Institute and LACLIMA launch analysis on children in climate COPs

Post author By Helaine Gonçalves
Post date 16 de June de 2025

Alana Institute and LACLIMA are launching the policy paper “Children and the UN Climate COPs: A Primary Consideration for Their Future in the Present” during the 2025 Bonn Climate Change Conference in Germany.

The document analyzes the mention of terms such as “children,” “youth,” and “future generations” in the decisions of the main UN climate change conferences (COPs), CMP (Kyoto Protocol), and CMA (Paris Agreement).

Fill out the form to download the policy paper:

The research identified three distinct phases: an initial period of sporadic mentions between 1992 and 2010, a phase of increased attention to the topic from 2011 to 2017, and more strategic references from 2018 to 2024.

The term “children,” for example, went from just 2 mentions between 1992 and 2010 to 77 mentions from 2018 to 2024; meanwhile, “youth” increased from 8 to 123 mentions over the same period.

The paper also revisits important milestones along this trajectory, such as:

2009: Formal recognition of YOUNGO (the official youth constituency in the UNFCCC process);
2010: First mention of children in UNFCCC decisions (Decision 1/CP.16);
2021: Establishment of the Glasgow Work Programme on Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), with guidelines on climate education and the participation of children and youth;
2023: Formalization of the role of Youth Climate Champion by the COP presidency;
2024: Holding of the Specialized Dialogue on Children and Climate Change, as established in Decision 1/CMA.5.

In addition to this analysis, the material also presents concrete recommendations to integrate children’s rights into the negotiation agenda of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

“All topics discussed at the COP must align with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — an international human rights treaty adopted 35 years ago and the most widely ratified in history. While references to children already appear in COP negotiations, they must be strengthened. Now that we have a record of the progress made in previous conferences, it is from that basis and alongside children that we will build the path forward”, says Letícia Carvalho, lawyer and international advisor at the Alana Institute.

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Students Awarded for Conserving Brazil’s Six Biomes

Post author By Fernanda Miranda
Post date 5 de June de 2025

World Environment Day marks the announcement of the winners

By Fabíola Sinimbú – Reporter at Agência Brasil
Published on 06/05/2025

On this June 5th, World Environment Day, six youth-led projects from every one of Brazil’s biomes were recognized for presenting proposals that combine conservation and environmental solutions with the appreciation of traditional knowledge from local communities.

These initiatives won the Criativos Escola + Natureza Award, which encourages children and adolescents to transform their realities through youth empowerment and is promoted by Instituto Alana.

“We now know that children are the population most affected by climate change and racial inequalities worldwide, yet they are not always considered when it comes to solving these problems—or even listened to about what affects and troubles them,” says Ana Cláudia Leite, an education and childhood culture specialist at Instituto Alana.

Elementary and high school students and their educators will receive an online educational journey, which will lead them to activities related to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30).

According to Ana Cláudia, the goal of this journey is to foster exchange between school communities and their territories, enable the technical improvement of the projects, and boost visibility and social impact.

“There will be content, connections, and experiences that can expand these children ability to take action in their territories and strengthen these projects so that they can scale up, influence their surroundings, and foster more dialogue and partnerships—whether with the private sector, government, or third sector.”

The award also includes a financial incentive of R$12,000 per team, with R$10,000 for the students and R$2,000 for the educator or adult mentor. The winners were chosen from nearly 1,600 projects from 738 municipalities across the country.

“We received projects from quilombola* regions, from communities linked to Indigenous groups, and from areas with multiple Indigenous communities close to schools. There are also projects from dense urban areas. They’re diverse not only in what they propose and how they foster social transformation, but also in the students’ life stories,” explains Ana Claudia.

Biomes
In the Caatinga biome, in the town of Carnaíba, Pernambuco, students at Paulo Freire State Technical School developed a low-cost filter made from pine husks and activated charcoal to reduce the toxicity of manipueira, a by-product of cassava flour production with high pollution potential.

“The girls who live in the Quilombo do Caruá community noticed that even though the spaces where cassava flour is milled and cooked are vital as sources of income and symbols of resistance, they’re also a place that produces a large amount of waste. So, they proposed a solution to the problem they observed,” explains Gustavo Bezerra, the teacher who supervised the project.

In the Cerrado biome, students from the State Institute of Education, Science and Technology in Codó, Maranhão, created an autonomous water reuse system that collects and filters water from fountains and taps for non-potable use, such as flushing toilets.

“They built the entire prototype: plumbing, barrels, the robotic part. They wanted the system to be fully automated and sustainably self-programmed to reduce both waste and human intervention. They did everything themselves, without any engineers. They were their own engineers,” recalls teacher Vivian Sousa.

While in the Cerrado the solution came through engineering, in the Pantanal biome, students from the Sebastião Rolon Rural Municipal School in Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul, turned to art to address the frequent wildfires. After researching how rural populations can help reduce fire outbreaks, the students developed an educational theater piece to raise community awareness through culture.

“Many students are children of farmers or cattle ranchers. Wildfires are common here. They often didn’t know who to call or what to do when fires happened. They said there was a lack of information, and until then, no one really knew what to do. Through the project, they began to find answers,” says teacher Stella de Souza.

The project was so successful that students and teachers are now working to expand its reach and the formats used.

“We intend to create books written by them, and comic books too. We’re trying to align the content with other subjects so we can expand the concept and reach not only adults but other children as well,” Stella adds.

The pursuit of balance with nature also came from diverse experiences. In the Amazon biome, inspired by the success of Indigenous community practices, students from the Amazonas Institute of Education in Manaus developed a project to integrate traditional knowledge into the school curriculum.

The phrase, “You, with your knowledge, can help us. And we, with ours, can help you,” spoken by a member of the Tukano people and heard by students during a visit to the Bahserikowi Indigenous Medicine Center, had a lasting impact. After that experience, exchanges increased, and transformation happened inside and outside the school.

“I didn’t know back then that some of my students were Indigenous. Later, I found out from one mother that she had told her daughter not to say she was Indigenous. She was afraid her daughter would be discriminated against or bullied like she had been,” recalls teacher Márcia Gomes.

As the project progressed, those students began to proudly share their knowledge and heritage as guardians of sustainable living.

“When I saw them finally saying they were Indigenous, talking about their culture and traditions, I realized the project had gone beyond learning—it was about self-worth and serenity,” Márcia emphasizes.

On the opposite end of the country, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, a group of students from Saint-Hilaire Elementary School was inspired by Futuro Ancestral, a book by Ailton Krenak, to deepen their connection with nature.They saw the nearby Saint-Hilaire Park as a potential space for connection and realized how distant the community had become from nature.

“They started talking about it—‘We’ve never been to the park. We could go, but it’s always burning.’ They began monitoring it and saw fires becoming frequent after reading the book. One of them said, ‘We could make a project about this,’” recalls teacher Maria Gabriela Souza.

A series of educational, artistic, and environmental activities in the park was developed by the students to raise awareness in the community.

“They created storytelling sessions, theatrical performances, and a literary fair using works by Indigenous and Black authors like Krenak and Antônio Bispo. They worked hard, created educational kits. It was a success. The whole school got involved,” the teacher says.

Traditional knowledge from shellfish gatherers and artisanal fishers in Estância, Sergipe, inspired students and teachers at the Federal Institute of Sergipe to develop an environmental education model for conserving the Atlantic Forest biodiversity found in mangroves and coastal scrublands.

The project combines multiple activities—like documentary production, trail signage, and flora and fauna identification—bringing together the traditional community, students, and teachers in immersive biome experiences.

“There’s a guided trail led by shellfish gatherers and students, and a ‘sustainability bike ride,’ where one student rode alongside her grandmother. We aim for strong social inclusion, beyond the Institute and partner schools, to involve the community and especially families,” says teacher Márcia Santos.

She notes the project also fosters youth leadership.

“They took an active role in this educational process because they are also teaching. The idea is for young people to spread this environmental education involvement so that others in the community can also engage,” she adds.

The Award
Created in 2015, the Criativos da Escola Award is promoted by Instituto Alana, a nonprofit organization focused on children’s rights. Its goal is to encourage youth to transform their realities and build leadership through the Design for Change methodology, developed by Indian educator Kiran Bir Sethi.

Complete list of winning projects by biome:

Amazon | “Dialogue with Nature: Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon and Sustainability”, Amazonas Institute of Education, Manaus (AM)
Cerrado | “Water Reuse System Prototype for Promoting Sustainability and Responsible Use of Natural Resources”, State Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão, Codó (MA)
Caatinga | “Filtropinha: From Waste to Resource”, Paulo Freire State Technical School, Carnaíba (PE)
Atlantic Forest | “Ecotech”, Federal Institute of Sergipe, Estância (SE)
Pampa | “Putting the Heart in Rhythm with the Earth: Reforesting Minds and Hearts”, Saint-Hilaire Elementary School, Porto Alegre (RS)
Pantanal | “Fires in the Pantanal”, Sebastião Rolon Rural Municipal School – Nazaré Extension, Corumbá (MS)

*Quilombos are hinterland settlement founded by people of African origin as part of resistance movements against enslavement

Tags award, children, COP, Cop for children

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Guide gathers recommendations for the protection of children and adolescents amid the climate crisis

Post author By Fernanda Miranda
Post date 19 de May de 2025

The material “Care and Protect: Childhoods and Adolescences in Times of Climate Crisis” provides recommendations to the child and adolescent protection network, ranging from care in temporary shelters to reporting and communication channels.

In the face of worsening extreme climate events in Brazil and worldwide—such as the floods in Rio Grande do Sul in 2024, which affected millions of people and disrupted access to education, health, and housing—the Alana Institute, in partnership with Conanda (National Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents) and the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC), launches the guide “Care and Protect: Childhoods and Adolescences in Times of Climate Crisis.” The document seeks to strengthen and expand the reach of Conanda’s “Recommendation for the Integral Protection of Children and Adolescents in Situations of Climate Risks and Disasters,” published in 2024.

The material was presented during the National Week to Combat Sexual Violence Against Children and Adolescents, held in Brasília, in reference to the 25 years of mobilization around May 18th—the National Day to Combat the Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents. It offers practical guidelines so that public managers, child protection councilors, and various professionals of the Child and Adolescent Rights Guarantee System (SGDCA) are prepared to face the impacts of the climate crisis with a focus on the comprehensive protection of boys and girls.

“Placing children and adolescents at the center of public and social policies is essential to ensure that we face climate challenges with justice, equity, and care,” says Ana Claudia Cifali, legal coordinator at the Alana Institute and Conanda councilor. “As evidenced by the episode in Rio Grande do Sul, civil society mobilization is essential in times of crisis. However, it is crucial that the State be prepared to assume its responsibility in managing these situations, with services and trained professionals ready to provide the necessary assistance and guarantee the full protection of children and adolescents,” she adds.

Guide Recommendations

The document guides, for example, the creation of Protection Committees at state and municipal levels, which should work in partnership with the SGDCA to map needs and coordinate effective responses. It also emphasizes the importance of ensuring adequate working conditions for Child Protection Councils, maintaining the functioning of essential services—such as health, education, and social assistance—and carrying out emergency hiring. The text also proposes the use of resources from the National Fund for Children and Adolescents (FNCA) in disaster contexts, as well as the deployment of national health (SUS) and social assistance (SUAS) teams to support services.

Other key points include attention to the mental health of involved professionals, support for children in situations of orphanhood or disability, the preservation of the right to information and the active participation of children and adolescents in decisions that affect them, in addition to measures such as emergency basic income and family support.

Regarding temporary shelters created in climate emergencies, the publication details minimum conditions to ensure safety, dignity, and care. Conanda recommends, for example, the appointment of technical teams with a constant presence in shelters, the organization of specific spaces for women, children, and adolescents, and the creation of play areas appropriate for childhood. For babies and children up to six years old, diaper-changing stations, breastfeeding areas, and common areas should be provided. Health monitoring, safe identification of children, proper referral of unaccompanied children, and the prevention of all forms of violence—through accessible and reliable reporting channels—are also required.

Public Management Recommendations

The guidelines address the roles of Protection Committees, Child Protection Councils, health professionals, and public security forces. Committees must continuously monitor shelters, map the population served, and organize care and communication flows. Child Protection Councils are advised to create duty schedules, supervise spaces, guarantee priority in their requisitions, and record services in the Child and Adolescent Information System (SIPIA). In health, actions range from prenatal care to vaccination, provision of medicines, and outpatient and hospital care. In the field of public security, the guide recommends the presence of police forces in shelters, guidance to families on the risks of returning to affected areas, and strengthening surveillance against child and adolescent trafficking.

Regarding the juvenile justice and institutional or family care system, the “Care and Protect” guide recommends maintaining communication between adolescents and their families, transferring adolescents from units in risk areas, and suspending socio-educational measures in open environments—such as Assisted Freedom and Community Service—during the period of calamity, with later reassessment.

The document also highlights the importance of offering accessible and safe channels for complaints, information, and requests for help. Hotlines such as Disque 100, as well as services via WhatsApp, Telegram, and Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), are pointed out as essential tools. Governments must ensure that this information is widely disseminated and understandable to different audiences, including children and adolescents, with formats adapted to their ages and conditions.

Reporting Channels

Finally, the guide lists the main reporting channels for rights violations, reinforcing that it is the duty of the State to ensure the protection of children and adolescents even in extreme contexts. The publication reaffirms that the climate crisis is also a children’s rights crisis, and that facing it requires coordinated, inclusive, and sensitive actions to multiple vulnerabilities.

The complete guide is available at this link, serving as an urgent call for governments and civil society to act in coordination to build a safer, fairer, and more sustainable present and future for all children and adolescents.

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Members of Instituto Ar and Instituto Alana present new study during event on Air Quality at the Ministry of the Environment

Post author By Fernanda Miranda
Post date 21 de August de 2024

Integrantes do Instituto Ar e do Instituto Alana apresentam novo estudo durante evento sobre Qualidade do Ar no Ministério do Meio Ambiente

Brazilian cities have increasingly been experiencing peaks in air pollution, known as “critical episodes.” On August 18, for instance, São Paulo recorded the worst air quality level of this winter, according to CETESB: 212µg/m³ of PM2.5, meaning 212 micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns. In April, Boa Vista reached even higher figures than São Paulo (317µg/m³ PM2.5). The same occurred in Manaus last October (499µg/m³ PM2.5). For comparison, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers up to 15 µg/m³ of particulate matter in the air acceptable. Children, particularly newborns and those in their early years of life, are among the most severely affected: air pollution can cause irreversible damage to their health.

To gain a clearer understanding of the indices used and the protocols adopted in different countries when very high levels of pollution are reached, Instituto Alana and Instituto Ar conducted the study “Air Quality on Alert”, launched during the event “Critical Episodes of Air Pollution”, organized by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA) and the Ministry of Health on the 20th, in Brasília. The report provides a comparative analysis of critical levels and emergency plans adopted in eight regions: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador (South America); the United States and Mexico (North America); and Spain, France, and England (Europe). The results show that Brazil falls significantly short when it comes to protecting its population, especially children.

“When air pollution reaches very high levels, immediate action may be required to reduce emissions and protect public health. In our research, Brazil and Ecuador scored the worst results. Our country has been outdated for more than 35 years, and no state has an action plan for critical episodes, except for São Paulo, whose plan dates back to 1978 and is severely outdated. In other words, we take no action,” stated Evangelina Araújo, air quality specialist and Executive Director of Instituto Ar, who coordinated the study.

WHO documents indicate that atmospheric pollution currently represents one of the greatest environmental risk factors for human health. According to the WHO, 50,000 Brazilians die each year due to air pollution. National air quality standards are based on indices established in 1990. Even with pollution peaks up to five times higher than in the countries analyzed in the new study—Brazil being surpassed only by Ecuador—these established thresholds are rarely reached, as they are overly lenient and outdated.

The report, which highlights major international air quality laws, also outlines measures adopted to protect children during critical pollution episodes. “Both in São Paulo, which exceeded the threshold for an ‘alert,’ and in Boa Vista and Manaus, where smoke from forest fires choked the city last October—making it the third most polluted city in the world, reaching twice the Air Quality Index (AQI) limit set for a state of ‘emergency’—nothing was done,” said JP Amaral, Nature Program Manager at Instituto Alana.

The study recommends both medium- and long-term solutions, such as encouraging active mobility in cities and creating green areas and parks around schools, as well as emergency measures already adopted internationally. In Colombia, for instance, the Plan para la atención de episodios de contaminación del aire del área metropolitana de Bucaramanga (CDMB) includes immediate actions to protect children during critical pollution episodes. When air quality reaches the “alert” level, schools suspend classes throughout the affected area. In emergencies, evacuation of the entire population within the perimeter exposed to pollution is carried out.

In the United States, the Air Now plan also includes general guidelines and specific measures for schools. Protocols begin at the “moderate” air quality level, with recommendations to reduce the duration and intensity of outdoor physical activities. In Spain, “horizontal strategic programs” outline long-term actions to improve air quality. There, the goal is to establish protection measures for vulnerable groups based on epidemiological studies conducted in priority areas, such as school zones, in order to determine epidemiological surveillance plans more effectively.

In London, the strategy is also long-term: the Healthy School Streets initiative implements a series of measures, such as reducing vehicle traffic, creating bike lanes, and developing green spaces and parks around schools, where pollution levels are monitored by sensors. “Our country is lagging behind in this debate compared to other nations, including those in South America. Brazil has a constitutional and moral duty to combat pollution and mitigate critical episodes, in order to ensure health and quality of life for children and for the entire population,” said JP Amaral.

Tags air quality, Alana

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Alana organizes first seminar on nature-based education in Los Angeles

Post author By Fernanda Miranda
Post date 10 de May de 2024

Connection was the keyword at the event, which discussed the role of Nature-Based Education in building climate adaptation and resilience

“What if we could sit by a pond, wait and welcome the frogs when they return to the surface? What if we could watch a fox crossing the grass and ask it about its story?”. The questions that seem to be part of a children’s fable were part of the reflections of Richard Louv, author of the book Last Child in the Woods, in the program of the first Nature-Based Education Summit, an event that took place last Saturday (4) in Los Angeles, United States. The seminar was organized by Alana Institute and the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Commission on Education and Communication, EarthDay.org and #NatureForAll.

Louv, who coined the term “nature deficit disorder”, referring to the negative impacts related to children’s detachment from nature and from opportunities to play and learn outdoors, said that “the use of imagination and the way we incorporate nature into our lives are underestimated” and that people, especially children, need to reconnect with the natural world. He was one of 13 speakers at the event, which discussed how to encourage and implement Nature-Based Education, which incorporates solutions into the curriculum, infrastructure and school environments, placing contact with nature at the center and generating climate adaptation and resilience.

For the full day, participants had the opportunity to debate the importance of an education that promotes learning in and with nature, based on various dimensions such as indigenous knowledge, scientific research into the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, and the challenges of making schools greener at a public policy level.

Among the lessons learned at the seminar were the following:

Collaboration between different sectors (public school networks, governmental administrations and communities) is crucial to achieving the vision of greener and healthier schools for all children.

The importance of changing children’s language and perspective on nature, to enable them to compare their communities to natural ecosystems to foster a deeper connection with the environment.

Pediatricians, caregivers, educators and communities working together to overcome barriers and create opportunities for children to connect with nature and reap its multiple benefits.

For Laís Fleury, International Relations Representative for the Alana Foundation, who took part in the program on the panel “Education, Nature and the Earth: key elements for Nature-Based Education”, the balance of the event was very positive. “In the United States, the organizations are very strong in bringing technical aspects and have a lot of resources from an objective point of view, but when we include the view from Brazil, from the Global South, we manage to add poetry, soul and enchantment. It’s a very rich exchange, in which we create a network and everyone wins,” she celebrated.

Tags nature-based education

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Alana Institute sends contributions for Brazil’s review at the UN Committee on The Rights of the Child

Post author By Fernanda Miranda
Post date 23 de April de 2024

In 1989, the United Nations (UN) adopted the Convention Child Rights (CRC), an international treaty that defines the fundamental rights of children and adolescents and binds the 196 signatory countries, including Brazil, to protect and promote such rights. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, made up of 18 independent experts appointed by the Party-States that have signed the Convention, has the duty to monitor the actions of those countries that have committed themselves to implementing the treaty.

According to article 44 of the Convention, signatory countries must submit reports on the measures adopted to give effect to the rights detailed in the treaty, as well as reporting on the progress made in exercising such rights. Every two years, the Committee must submit reports on its activities to the United Nations General Assembly, and signatory countries must make their reports widely available to the public in their respective territories.

Brazil ratified the Convention on September 24, 1990, and its review cycle begins again this year, in 2024, 10 years after the end of the last cycle.

How does the review process work?

The review process generally involves the following steps:

Submission of the initial report by the country

Countries that have ratified the Convention are obligated to submit periodic reports to the Committee, describing the measures they have taken to implement the rights set out in the CRC.

Review of the report by the Committee

The Committee analyses the country’s report, together with information provided by other sources, such as civil society organizations and parallel reports from other interested parties.

Dialogue with the country

The Committee holds a dialogue with country representatives to discuss the report, ask questions and provide recommendations for improving the situation of children’s rights in the respective country.

Drafting the concluding observations

Based on the review of the report and the dialogue with the country, the Committee draws up concluding observations that highlight the strengths and areas of concern regarding the implementation of children’s rights in that country. Such concluding observations are provided to the country and may include specific recommendations for future action.

Alana’s contributions to the UN report

In a document prepared by the Alana Institute and sent during the semester of the year, six major topics were highlighted as essential for discussing the rights of children and adolescents in Brazil in this review cycle:

Children’s rights and Covid-19: impacts of the poor management of the pandemic on children and their rights

With the publication “Dossier on Children and Covid-19: the impacts of pandemic management”, Alana addressed the impacts of the pandemic and its inefficient management on the rights of children and adolescents in Brazil. The material also carried out a survey of the rules issued by the Federal Administration aimed at children and adolescents, in order to analyze which measures were effectively adopted by the government to protect children and adolescents with absolute priority during the pandemic. These points, as well as other factors such as food insecurity, increased violence and impacts on access to education, were some of the consequences of the period highlighted in the contribution sent to the UN.

Discussions were also presented on the following topics:

Right to education

Formal demarcation of indigenous lands

Juvenile justice and access to justice

Children’s rights and the digital environment

Children’s rights, the environment and the climate crisis

Letícia Carvalho, a lawyer and international advisor for the Alana Institute, explains that the organization’s main priorities in relation to the Committee “have been to monitor, influence and make contributions, bringing Brazilian perspectives to the UN General Comments, such as No. 25 and No. 26, which deal, respectively, with children’s rights in the digital environment and in relation to the environment and climate change”. The next UN General Comment, No. 27, will be on access to justice.

What are the General Comments?

They are documents drawn up by the Committee on the Rights of the Child which provide interpretations of the rights mentioned in the Convention and formal recommendations to countries, addressing specific issues and detailing their practical application.

In addition, as part of the review of Brazil, the Institute has requested that children and adolescents take part in meetings with members of the UN, which has not yet happened due to a liquidity crisis explained by the organization itself. The meetings are expected to take place in September.

Alana submitted contributions from the zero draft of the comments to the last one, participated in closed meetings with experts and reinforced the need for absolute priority for the rights of children and adolescents. This means that the rights of boys and girls must be considered a priority and fully guaranteed in our country, being implemented in decisions and political actions and placed above all other interests.

“The review process is a moment to take stock before the international community of the situation of children’s and adolescents’ rights in Brazil, as well as an opportunity to honor the commitments made, transforming them into concrete actions that effectively improve the reality of Brazilian children and adolescents,” Carvalho concludes.

Tags Alana, Alana Institute sends contributions for Brazil's review at the UN Committee on The Rights of the Child, Brazil's review

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Project “Refresca SP” Aims to Protect Schools from the Effects of the Climate Crisis

Post author By Fernanda Miranda
Post date 4 de April de 2024
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crianças ajudam a plantar árvore na escola Virgílio de Mello Franco

The Alana Institute has just established a partnership with the São Paulo City Government to bring more nature into school spaces and their surroundings. The project, named Refresca SP, will begin with a pilot at the Virgílio de Mello Franco Municipal Elementary School, located in the eastern zone of São Paulo—the same region where the Alana Institute was founded and has been active since its creation, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary.

The project’s goal is to transform school infrastructure by placing nature at its center and implementing measures that encourage the use of green spaces inside and around schools. By doing so, the initiative seeks to strengthen the connection between children and adolescents and nature, foster their protagonism in conservation, and help mitigate the impacts of climate change—already felt by them, especially in vulnerable areas. “The idea is to envision school spaces as central hubs for climate adaptation and resilience actions, combined with innovative education strategies. To make schools greener, where children can play and learn with and in nature,” says JP Amaral, Manager of the Nature Program at the Alana Institute.

Why is it important to bring more greenery into school spaces?

Schools are numerous and well distributed across cities, making them strategic public facilities. Increasing nature in these spaces can play a crucial role in expanding the network of urban green areas, helping regulate temperature, reduce pollution, and mitigate flooding. Scientific evidence also shows that contact with nature improves both learning and all indicators of physical and mental health among children and adolescents.

For this reason, it makes sense to place nature at the core of the design and use of school spaces and their surroundings. Schools also function as centers for cultural exchange and community life. Thus, greener schools—built with innovative and sustainable solutions through participatory processes—contribute to climate literacy and community resilience.

As part of Refresca SP, the planned steps include awareness-raising activities, mapping and systematizing best practices already implemented in municipal schools, and strengthening student councils and the active participation of children and adolescents as key actors in these transformation processes. The pilot will serve to generate learnings and test solutions before expanding the plan to other Regional Boards of Education and encouraging the creation and implementation of public policies to integrate nature into education and school environments.

Project “Refresca SP” Aims to Protect Schools from the Effects of the Climate Crisis

The project officially began with a symbolic planting of a Peroba Rosa tree, a native species of the Atlantic Forest, in the schoolyard where the pilot will take place. The event was attended by Municipal Secretaries José Renato Nalini, from the Executive Secretariat for Climate Change (SECLIMA), and Bruno Lopes Correia, Deputy Secretary of Education.

Alana has been working, together with other organizations and municipalities, on different initiatives to promote nature-based education. This includes transforming school spaces with more green areas and sustainable solutions; redesigning curricula and learning proposals so that children and adolescents can benefit from these green spaces to play and learn; and implementing greener, healthier alternatives in the surroundings of schools. All of this is carried out with the participation of students, educators, and the community.

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Calling for Children’s COP in 2025 in Brazil

Post author By Fernanda Miranda
Post date 4 de December de 2023
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Alana representatives delivered a manifesto to President Lula during COP28. The document calls for children to be heard, included and centralized in actions to fight climate change

Over the weekend, Alana representatives handed President Lula and Secretary of State Marina Silva, from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, a manifesto calling for a Children’s COP to be held in 2025, when Brazil will host the United Nations (UN) Climate Conference.

“We can no longer ignore the fact that 1 billion children in the world, including at least 40 million Brazilian girls and boys, are having their lives affected by extreme events such as floods, prolonged droughts, pollution and heatwaves. The time has come to recognize and include children’s voices in CAP, responding to their pain, especially that of the most vulnerable: girls, black children, children descending from afro-Brazilian slaves who escaped their plantations, riverside community children, children from slums and children with disabilities,” says the document.

Today, worldwide, more than one in four deaths of children under 5 are attributable to unhealthy environments, according to UNICEF. They bear no responsibility for climate change, but they are the most impacted and are not heard or prioritized in the COP agendas and negotiations that will define their lives.

In 31 years of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, so far, no robust decision focused on protecting the rights and best interests of children and adolescents has been adopted. The hope is that Brazil can change this story, setting an example to the world if it commits to making Article 227 of the Federal Constitution effective, which states that it is everyone’s duty – the state, families and society – to ensure the rights of children with absolute priority, including the right to nature and to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment.

In this sense, the manifesto calls for COP30, which will be held in 2025 in Belém, State of Pará, to leave a legacy for present and future generations of children and their families, by guaranteeing the safe participation of boys and girls in the negotiations and promoting a Children’s Action Plan (CAP) that establishes objectives and proposals that take into account the peculiarities and vulnerabilities of children in the climate crisis.

The Alana Institute, in alliance with UNICEF, has already brought the voices of 25 children from 12 countries around the world to COP28. In the videos showing their testimonies, they call for immediate action from leaders and negotiators and tell how extreme weather events have affected their lives. The films opened several of the COP28 plenaries, such as the Leaders’ Event: Youth and Education – The Latent Force of Climate Action, which brought together global leaders. Watch the videos here.

Tags COP, Cop for children

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Why do we need a #COPforChildren?

Post author By Fernanda Miranda
Post date 29 de November de 2023
No Comments on Why do we need a #COPforChildren?

Children are the most affected, least responsible for climate change, and have not been heard or prioritized in COP discussions and negotiations

Almost half the world’s children – 1 billion of 2.2 billion total – live in extremely high climate risk conditions, that is, in areas subject to floods, heat waves, and other severe phenomena, according to UNICEF. That’s not all: more than one in four deaths of children under 5 years of age is directly or indirectly related to environmental risks.

Problems such as air pollution, water contamination, food shortages or precarious sanitation and hygiene as a result of the climate emergency generated by consumerism and the way in which goods and food are produced, hit children the hardest, causing lifelong troubles.

Although already greatly affected and not at all responsible for the current state of affairs, children are not heard or prioritized in the discussions and negotiations of COP, or Convention of the Parties, the annual meetings of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in which member countries address the issue and close agreements with the aim of stopping the Earth’s temperature increase, reducing the impact on people and the environment.

To date, no decision taken within COP has focused on protecting children and adolescents in face of the climate crisis. And only 2.4% of the main multilateral climate funds support programs that take this population into account. The proposal for COP28, which will be held between November 30th and December 12th, in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, is to change this reality and begin the construction of a Children’s COP.

Aligned with leading international organizations, Alana has been opening up spaces to directly influence negotiations and coordination so that adaptation and mitigation plans begin to consider the specific needs of children and cover them thoroughly, observing rights and interests, in addition to listening to them in debate spaces and include them in signed agreements.

“A Children’s COP would make visible the impact of the climate crisis on the lives and rights of children and adolescents, reflecting in the commitments of countries, especially Brazil towards COP30, companies, and philanthropic foundations. Children and teenagers have already actively contributed to climate action. Now we need to listen to them and actually include them in global decisions.”, says JP Amaral, Environment and Climate Manager at Alana.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child itself, the most accepted human rights instrument in universal history, ratified by 196 countries, provides for children’s participation in matters that involve them. According to Article 12, “States Parties shall ensure to children who are capable of formulating their own views the right to express their opinions freely on all matters relating to them, and such views shall be considered, depending on the child’s age and maturity.”

At COP27, which took place in 2022, in Egypt, Alana achieved significant results, with the #KidsFirst campaign, such as the historic inclusion of several measures regarding children in the final decision. Now, it’s time to build the Children’s Action Plan (CAP). At COP28, the goal will be to consolidate this plan politically, focusing on dialogue with the presidency, led by the United Arab Emirates, and on articulating endorsement of this agenda with other countries.

A Children’s Action Plan would establish objectives and activities in priority areas designed to promote knowledge and understanding of child-sensitive climate action, taking into account not only rights but also their voices, through full, equal, and meaningful participation in the UNFCCC process.

At the UNFCCC, Parties must bring coherence between the climate agenda, the work of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment 26, which deals with the Rights of the Child and the Environment, with a special focus on Climate Change, and the UN Secretary-General’s renewed focus on children, young people, and intergenerational equity.

Six targets of the Children’s Action Plan

1. Children’s participation and leadership

Parties’ delegations working at COP must allow children to participate in all processes, as part of the official national delegation, and create space and opportunity for children’s safe and meaningful participation as Observers. For their voices to be heard, it is necessary to carry out a risk assessment and develop a comprehensive protection plan, as well as ensuring that information related to safety and security is appropriate and accessible to children. There is knowledge and good practice in the child rights community about appropriate and effective methodologies for meaningful and accessible participation that could be used – international cooperation with relevant organizations could support this institutional learning process.

2. Education, knowledge generation and communication

The Climate Empowerment Action (ACE) is adopted by the UNFCCC and encompasses empowering all members of society to engage in climate action through education, training, public awareness, public participation, public access to information, and international cooperation. The ACE agenda must consider the needs and priorities of children and their participation must be guaranteed in negotiations. Furthermore, the Children’s Action Plan will contribute to the implementation of child-related measures set out in the ACE action plan at COP27, which includes organizing a joint session to discuss ways to improve understanding of children’s role in accelerating the implementation of ACE; promotion of regional and local networks and platforms that support ACE, encouraging children’s involvement; and mapping and compiling existing guidelines and best practices with regards to early childhood education and empowerment in climate action, with special attention to gender equality and the inclusion of people with disabilities.

3. COP location suitable for children

The UNFCCC and the COP Presidency must ensure children’s participation before, during and after the meeting, creating space and opportunities for safe and meaningful collaboration by children in all discussions, panels, and processes. It is necessary to structure and implement child safeguarding procedures and policies. COPs can be stressful, with intense negotiations, large, noisy venues, and long meetings. Therefore, children’s well-being needs to be considered and supported. As well as risks related to travel, privacy, bullying, intimidation, and exposure in the media. It is necessary to work together with children to define these risks and mitigation strategies, and also create an inviting place for children and their caregivers. In this direction, the COP Fit for Children report provides an assessment and recommendations based on the experience of past COPs.

4. Child-sensitive climate action measures and implementation

Place the defense of children’s rights at the center of climate change response, in a comprehensive framework, including adaptation, mitigation, financing, and loss and damage, also highlighting areas for future action (e.g. ocean-based climate action, which aims to protect and restore the health of marine ecosystems and build a sustainable ocean economy), with equal attention to technology-driven initiatives and nature-based approaches to climate change. Climate action plans must ensure that the care of young children is a priority, including health, nutrition, responsive care, safety, security, and early learning, including early ecological education.

5. Measures in response to children affected by inequality and discrimination

Ensure that children from marginalized communities or in vulnerable situations where intersecting inequalities and discrimination exacerbate the harms of climate impacts are duly considered. Also, ensure their equitable participation, so they are included in global responses to climate change. To this purpose, use the compilation and analysis of data that includes the child’s age, gender, and disability.

6. Monitoring and reporting

Improve monitoring of the implementation of measures in response to the needs and interests of children and coherence between the climate agenda, the work of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the UN Secretary-General’s renewed focus on children, young people, and intergenerational equity by incorporating greater focus on children’s rights into the UNFCCC process. Reports need to ensure a deadline and frequency to constantly evaluate and inform the community about the results of actions implemented by Parties in relation to children’s rights.

See also: At COP27, Alana celebrates recognition of the importance to include children in the design and implementation of climate-related policies

Tags COP, Cop for children

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Easy-to-understand communication and digital access are highlights of the 16th Conference of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

“Leaving no one behind means not leaving anyone offline,” emphasized António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, addressing digital inclusion at the annual meeting, attended by Alana’s legal and international advisor

Over a billion people worldwide have some form of disability—including approximately 240 million children—according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

In support of this population, the United Nations General Assembly ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The Conference of States Parties promotes implementation of this international treaty, and is an important forum for advancing disability rights at a global level.

Alana participated in the 16th Conference of States Parties (COSP) in New York, United States, from June 12 to 15, 2023, and engaged in discussions about topics such as equitable access and inclusion in sexual and reproductive health services for individuals with disabilities, digital inclusion, and the rights of underrepresented segments of the disabled community, including children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

The COSP convened representatives from countries that have ratified the CRPD, including Brazil, and also included participation from civil society organizations advocating for disability rights. The annual meeting at the UN headquarters in New York takes place to assess the CRPD’s implementation, facilitate exchange of experiences, and deliberate on challenges and best practices in advancing disability rights.

“Participation in the COSP reinforces Alana’s international engagement alongside other civil society organizations that can contribute and share experiences on the implementation of the Convention, especially from the perspective of children and adolescents with disabilities in the Global South, and individuals with intellectual disabilities,” comments Letícia Carvalho, a lawyer and international advisor at Alana.

Easy-to-understand communication
In 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to promote easy-to-understand communication. The resolution provides guidance for conveying information in an accessible and uncomplicated manner, in order to make it more understandable for people with different levels of linguistic ability or reading comprehension difficulties.

At COSP, the Brazilian Federation of Down Syndrome Associations (FBASD) and the Jô Clemente Institute (IJC) presented an initiative that engages people with Down Syndrome and intellectual disabilities as advocates for their rights and those of their communities. The initiative is being carried out with Alana’s support.

In recent months, these organizations have collaborated with self-advocacy groups to influence legislation and proposals related to the rights of individuals with Down Syndrome in areas such as education, health, and employment.

Digital access

This year’s conference also underscored the importance of digital inclusion, which ensures that digital environments are accessible to all, including individuals with disabilities. Assistive technologies, which augment the capabilities of people with disabilities, were a central theme.

“Leaving no one behind means not leaving anyone offline,” stated António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, at the conference’s opening. Accessibility is a prerequisite for equity. At the same time, the lack of digital inclusion risks further marginalizing individuals with disabilities, particularly when digital technologies are not designed with accessibility in mind.

“Our participation highlighted our commitment to the broader understanding that individuals with disabilities form a diverse group, with intersections such as age, class, and race. These must be factored into the implementation of public policies,” noted Letícia Carvalho.

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