A/HRC/43/30 99. Germany promotes child participation in environmental initiatives and has adopted mitigation measures in response to the youth climate activism movement.141 100. Egypt, El Salvador and Spain promote children’s participation in environmental matters.142 101. Oman and Qatar have designated a national day of the environment to raise awareness of and promote children’s participation in addressing environmental issues.143 102. Egypt and Guatemala report having established gardens in schools and nurseries to improve children’s environments.144 VI. Conclusions and recommendations 103. Environmental degradation, climate change and childhood exposure to toxic and hazardous substances present an urgent challenge and negatively affect children’s rights, including the rights to life, survival and development, bodily integrity, physical and mental health, an adequate standard of living, including food, water, sanitation and housing, culture, freedom from child labour, education, play and livelihood. Furthermore, children are often unable to fully realize their rights to freedom of information, participation and access to remedy regarding environmental issues. 104. The effects of environmental damage, pollution and toxic substances also intensify social and economic inequalities and poverty and reverse improvements in children’s well-being. 105. States must urgently act to respect, protect and fulfil children’s rights related to environmental damage, pollution and toxic substances, including by meeting their human rights obligations and responsibilities contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Paris Agreement and other international human rights and environmental instruments. 106. All stakeholders must act to ensure coherence in law and policy concerning the effects of environmental damage, pollution and toxic substances on children. This includes better sharing of information and collaboration at all levels and the mobilization of adequate domestic and international resources for effective action. 107. States should: (a) Adopt a child-rights approach in designing, implementing and monitoring public health, environmental, consumer and labour laws, standards, policies and programmes, prioritizing the best interests of the child; (b) States should amend laws, standards and policies as necessary, considering that specific groups are at greater risk and must be able to exercise their human rights on an equal basis with others; (c) Integrate the human right to a healthy environment into national constitutions and legislation, and recognize this right at the global level so that it can be enjoyed by everyone everywhere; (d) Take ambitious mitigation measures to minimize the negative impacts of climate change on children to the greatest extent possible and at the very least to limit warming to no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, in line with the Paris Agreement; (e) Include environmental degradation and toxic substances and pollution related to children’s rights in national action plans on business and human rights and 141 142 143 144 Ibid; submission from Human Rights Watch. Submissions from Egypt, El Salvador and Spain. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/24291OHCHR_ChildRights Report_HLPF_July19.pdf. Submissions from Egypt and Guatemala. 17