The use of innovative tools and approaches to engage children and young people as agents of change on air pollution

This guide will take you on a journey through Belize, China, Mongolia and Serbia, four countries using innovation to tackle air pollution challenges. This guide was developed by UNICEF to showcase how innovation was successfully used in different child-centred clean air programmes in UNICEF country offices. The goal is to inspire changemakers to incorporate innovation – including new technologies and approaches – into air pollution projects.

Practitioners can use this guide to: 

• Explore innovative tools and techniques to gather air pollution data. 
• Learn about programmes and initiatives that foster advocacy, meaningfully engage youth, reduce air pollution, create change and save lives.

This guide outlines six ways that innovation can improve air pollution programming: 

1. Monitoring air pollution levels to set the stage for intervention.
2. Assessing interventions to find approaches that increase impacts.
3. Using new technologies and approaches to improve data collection.
4. Harnessing data collection to meaningfully engage youth.
5. Developing digital platforms to meaningfully engage youth.
6. Empowering youth advocates to reach decision makers.