From most vulnerable to most valuable: elevating children in the climate and health agenda
Gulati A., Stuart E., Whitford V., El Omrani OIH., Khalid S., Barros A., Lombardi J., Stein A.
The priority themes for this year's climate Conference of Parties (COP) have been announced. There is much to laud in Türkiye's approach as new COP president, particularly the insistence on implementation and their request for feedback. However, Türkiye's agenda does not yet progress commitments made under Brazil's previous presidency in one vital regard: an explicit focus on child and adolescent health in the context of health systems. The Belém Health Action Plan for the adaptation of the health sector to climate change,1 developed at COP30 in 2025, highlights the specific health needs of children and adolescents in response to climate change. We urge the Türkiye presidency to build on these efforts, bringing its welcome focus on delivery to ensure that mitigation, child-focused adaptation efforts, and children's voices are truly included in their agenda.