The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has issued a call for immediate climate change awareness initiatives as part of proactive steps to address climate-related challenges worldwide,Daily Trust reports.
Achim Steiner, the UNDP Administrator, emphasized this need in a statement released in Abuja following the launch of UNDP’s Weather Kids Climate Change Awareness Campaign project. This campaign, Steiner explained, is a collaborative effort with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and Weather Channel.
Steiner highlighted that the Weather Kids campaign aims to stimulate public discourse and mobilize action on climate change in anticipation of the COP30 climate negotiations scheduled for Brazil in 2025. He emphasized that the campaign aims to raise awareness about climate change impacts and rally global citizens to take action to protect future generations.
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He stated, “Weather Kids serves as a compelling tool to educate people about the impending dangers of climate change. Failure to act swiftly on climate change will result in a planet increasingly unsuitable for today’s children and future generations.”
Steiner stressed the importance of swift and comprehensive measures, including decarbonizing economies and enhancing access to affordable, clean energy, to address climate change effectively. He emphasized that such actions would also contribute to environmental conservation and empower communities to participate in their countries’ climate commitments.
Regarding the Weather Kids program, Steiner noted its extensive reach, airing on news channels in over 80 countries. He explained that the program provides daily weather forecasts based on data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and UNDP’s human climate horizon data platform.
The global dissemination of Weather Kids is made possible through collaboration with WMO and the Weather Channel. Steiner underscored that COP30, marking the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, offers an opportunity for countries to align efforts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
He highlighted the significance of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in the global fight against climate change, noting UNDP’s Climate Hub’s substantial support for climate action in nearly 150 countries. Through initiatives like Climate Promise, UNDP has partnered with 85% of the world’s developing countries to address global warming through NDC submissions.
