Aotearoa’s young citizens are sending a strong message to New Zealand politicians and global leaders charged with delivering climate action to: "make strong, wise decisions", "be brave" and "choose wisely".

Kiwi children and young people are being asked to take part in Save the Children’s global campaign - Message in a Bottle - which aims to include the experiences and advice from young people around the world on the impact of climate change on their lives and what they’d like leaders to do. It asks children and young people to share their message with decision makers on the change or action they’d like them to take to ensure a better future.

The messages will be presented in recycled plastic bottles at Parliament next month to New Zealand’s climate and environment MPs, before being sent to New York in September where they will be presented to world leaders attending the UN Sustainable Development Goals Summit.

Save the Children Advocacy and Research Director Jacqui Southey says children are already experiencing the climate crisis firsthand and its impact on their health and wellbeing, but just 2.4 percent of key global climate funds can be classified as supporting child-responsive activities.

"It’s crucial children and young people’s experiences and views are considered by decision makers as proportionately they will experience much greater impacts of the climate crisis over their lifetime.

"Our report Born into the Climate Crisis also shows that tamariki born in 2020 will face significantly more extreme weather events than their grandparents. We are already seeing this in New Zealand where 100-year flood events are already occurring. Wildfires and extreme heat events are also predicted to increase."

So far, messages have been received from tamariki as young as six, who ask decision makers to "Stop big oil companies now. Be brave and make strong, wise decisions."

Millie, 17, says: "They tell us that the damage has been done and that there is not much we can do. I believe that with a mindset like this nothing is going to change and is giving the wrong message across to people who believe that they can just keep doing what they’re doing and putting our earth at risk! Enough is enough the first step in stopping this issue is changing the way that we look at it and how local and global leaders are spreading this message."

Aarthi, 16, believes that implementing sustainability ratings for businesses and manufacturers would help consumers make better choices. "Many businesses out there use an abundance of plastic packaging and non-eco-friendly methods. Similar to a health star rating, a sustainability rating shows how well a business has used sustainable methods getting their product on a shelf eg fully biodegradable no plastic packaging. High sustainability rating should be rewarded."

Save the Children is calling on young people from around New Zealand to submit their messages. Those wanting to get involved can submit a drawing or written message by August 7 here.

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