Part one of guest blogs from Together Scotland – read part two.
What do children and young people in Scotland think about their right to a healthy environment? Teenagers Safiyah and Oscar spoke to over 200 children to investigate this on a special mission from the Scottish Government. Read their findings in children’s own words.
Hi, we’re Safiyah and Oscar, and we’re two of the Rights Detectives – a group of children and young people aged 11-17 who were supported by Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights) to undertake special missions from the Scottish Government to find out what children and young people think of a new Human Rights Bill for Scotland. In total, we spoke to 269 children and young people, aged 5-17, from across Scotland.
How we approached our missions
Our mission was to make sure children and young people views are taken into account in the new Human Rights Bill for Scotland. We helped create session plans and resources to help us in our investigations. We met with lots of groups of children and young people and led workshops to find out what matters most to them.
What we found out about the right to a healthy environment
Through our investigations, we found the right to a healthy environment is super important for children and young people. Here are some important ideas and direct quotes from some of the children and young people we spoke to:
- It’s not just about clean air and green spaces. A healthy environment also includes loving, happy, and protective family relationships, supportive communities, good quality education, and clean areas to live in. One young person told us, “It’s not just about the environment; it’s about feeling safe and happy in it.”
- Environmental justice is important to lots of children and young people. They want to protect the planet by calling for actions like “No deforestation,” “ensure wildlife is safe,” and “remove plastic from the ocean.” They say that taking care of the environment and making sure everyone is healthy, well and treated fairly are all connected.
- Accessible, affordable, and sustainable transport is important to children and young people. Children want to see “less aeroplanes and no private jets!” “more train travel and “more and safer cycle lanes.” They also call for ethical considerations in sustainable technologies, such as “no child labour to mine the parts for electric cars.”
- Children and young people tell us that good public services are key to creating a healthy environment. This includes the need for good waste and recycling systems, saying “More bins that are collected regularly” and the importance of community services like “Fire engines, bus drivers, bin collectors – people and services working for the community.”
- Inclusive town planning – Making sure towns are designed for everyone is very important for children and young people. They call for “ramps to get into buildings” and say that towns should be planned to help everyone, especially people with disabilities and parents/babies who use buggies.
Why the right to a healthy environment matters to us
The right to a healthy environment is important for children and young people because it directly impacts our physical and mental health. A healthy environment means we can grow up happy and strong, with opportunities to play, learn, and be ourselves.
Looking ahead
We’re excited about the introduction of the new Human Rights Bill by the Scottish Government, a bill that promises to make the right to a healthy environment a reality for all children and young people in Scotland. By taking our views into account, this bill has the power to create a better, fairer, and more sustainable future for everyone.
Thank you to the incredible work of Safiyah and Oscar, and to all the children who shared their ideas and thoughts.
Next, hear from Together’s Director Juliet Harris how incorporating the right to a healthy environment can help deliver the First Minister’s plan of ‘revolution in children’s rights’.
