The Global Collaborative
The Children's Environmental Health Collaborative
The mission of the Collaborative is to mobilize international action to protect child health and development from the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The Collaborative is a multi-stakeholder initiative established in 2023 that provides a shared vision, identity and platform to amplify the work of its partners to protect children’s environmental health. Partners of the Children's Environmental Health Collaborative are united around a common vision – that all children deserve to grow up in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment – and believe that working together will help get there faster.
The Collaborative draws from existing global frameworks and partner resources to support and galvanize collective action. The Collaborative is not a separate legal entity, it does not develop intergovernmental policy, and is not a financing mechanism.
Objectives of the Collaborative
The Collaborative aims to inspire, motivate, equip and mobilize efforts through advocacy, brokering knowledge and catalysing action.
By 2026, the Collaborative will support partners in
50
countries
Advancing action with governments in 50 low-and middle-income countries to protect children from environmental risks.
30
million
Reaching 30 million caregivers with campaigns to help them recognize, prevent and manage at least one environmental health exposure.
100,000
people
Training 100,000 health workers on how to recognize and manage environmental risks.
25,000
schools
Engaging teachers and caregivers in 25,000 schools and early childhood centres on actions they can take to reduce environmental risks.
Priority actions
The collaborative aims to accelerate action in five priority areas at the country level:
Conduct national assessments and monitor children’s environmental health, with due attention to age, gender and geography, to identify areas of concern.
Set national targets and integrate child-specific interventions in health and environment-related policies with the involvement of young people.
Adopt and enforce public health, environmental, climate and labour laws, regulations and standards to protect children’s health.
Establish roles and responsibilities for children’s environmental health, and develop sectoral capacities to deliver on their environmental health mandates.
Engage communities, frontline service providers and local governments, on reducing environmental risks and their impacts on children’s health, development and well-being.