In 2022, ARNEC in partnership with Save the Children and UNICEF EAPRO had undertaken a scoping study led by the University of Wollongong, Early Start Australia to inform its advocacy for ensuring a clean, safe, and sustainable environment for young children.

The scoping study aims to share the evidence from the Asia-Pacific region and the insights from experts and partners around the world exploring the deep interlinkages between climate change, environmental degradation and ECD to support our goal of enabling ECD systems and services for young children become more climate resilient, adequately funded, and their value better understood and considered by policy makers and climate scientists.

The scoping study recognises that there is currently insufficient attention given to the immediate and longer-term needs of young children in climate change and environmental actions. It leverages the nurturing care framework for ECD to better understand and communicate the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation (CC&ED) on ECD. The Study also elaborates a child-centred approach for governments, decision makers, development agencies, advocacy groups, and key stakeholders to support the incorporation of young children’s needs and rights when considering CC&ED impacts and responses, as well as adaptation and mitigation strategies.