New global index: climate plans ignore child hunger, warns World Vision

Key findings:

• Child hunger is mentioned in just 18% of national climate plans, and child malnutrition in only 11%.
• 67 countries (80% of those assessed) fail to properly consider hunger and malnutrition for children and adults alike.
• Countries with high rates of food insecurity were more likely to include these issues in their climate plans.

As world leaders gather for COP30, new analysis from World Vision warns that governments are failing to include child hunger and malnutrition in their national climate strategies - putting millions of children at risk in an increasingly warming world.

The Hungry Futures Index, launched today by World Vision, analyses 84 climate plans (Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans) to assess how well governments are addressing hunger and nutrition in the context of the climate crisis. Four-fifths of countries were found to be failing. Less than 20% of countries mention child hunger in their plans, and even fewer mention child malnutrition or budget to address the impacts.

While some countries reference child hunger in their plans, far fewer provide funding to tackle it. The global food system continues to fail billions of people, disproportionately affecting the poorest and most vulnerable. Almost one-third of the world’s population - 2.6 billion people - still cannot afford a healthy diet, and this number is projected to grow as the planet continues to warm.

It's not just hunger either. Despite the Paris Agreement recognising children as “agents of change”, only 58% of climate plans (49 in total) reference children’s participation in climate decision-making. Just two countries - Chad and Cambodia - make a full commitment to child participation.

“When children are invisible in data, budgets, and strategies, they are invisible in the solutions that shape their lives. Policies that fail to track how resources reach girls and boys are failing the very generation most affected by the climate crisis,” said Kate Shaw, Senior Advisor at World Vision International. “We are entering an age of hungry futures. Children are on the frontlines of climate change, yet their needs and voices are almost invisible in the world’s climate blueprints. If governments fail to act now, hunger and malnutrition will rise dramatically - with devastating consequences for the next generation.”

2024 was the hottest year on record, with global temperatures surpassing 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.[1] Already, 1 billion children are living in areas of extremely high risk from climate-related threats - including air pollution, water scarcity, heat stress and disease.[2] Without bold action, hunger and malnutrition could increase by 20% by 2050 due to climate change.[3]

World Vision is urging governments attending COP30 to prioritise child hunger and nutrition in the global climate agenda, embedding concrete, costed and measurable commitments into their updated climate plans.

“COP30 in Brazil must be a turning point,” said Shaw. “Children cannot be an afterthought in climate policy - they must be at the heart of it.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) outline each country’s commitments to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions under the Paris Agreement.

National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) detail how countries will adapt to the impacts of climate change and build resilience.

The Hungry Futures Index analysed 84 NDCs and NAPs (including the European Union).

The full data set and methodology can be found at wvi.org/hungry-futures-index

For interviews or additional information, please contact: Katherine Shaw, email: kate_shaw@wvi.org

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.  For more information, please visit www.wvi.org