Behind the paper: putting children at the heart of climate change adaptation

We talk to Kathrin Zangerl and colleagues, authors of the recent PLOS Climate publication “Putting children at the heart of climate change adaptation policies via Allyship, Bias Recognition and Child Centeredness: A global qualitative interview study“

What led you to decide on this research question?

Our previous research showed that children are still insufficiently considered in national climate change adaptation policies. We wanted to move beyond describing this gap and better understand why it persists and, importantly, what could help to address it. We therefore spoke with experts working at the intersection of climate change, health, policy (all part of national adaptation planning) to learn from their experiences and perspectives.

How did you go about designing your study?

We conducted qualitative, in-depths 1:1 interviews with experts from different professional backgrounds and world regions. Rather than starting with a predefined framework, we used the interviews to identify recurring themes and practical approaches. These ultimately informed our ABC framework: Allyship, Bias Recognition and Child-Centeredness.

Did you encounter any challenges in carrying out your research?

One challenge was the breadth of the topic. Climate change adaptation, health and children’s rights span different sectors, disciplines and policy levels, and experts often approach these issues from very different perspectives. At the same time, this diversity was an important strength of the study, as it helped us identify challenges that recur across contexts.

What struck you most about your results? What are the key messages and what action do you hope to see based on these new insights?

What struck us most was that the limited consideration of children is not simply a question of missing evidence. Our interviews highlighted structural barriers, including fragmented responsibilities, limited collaboration across sectors and adult-centred approaches to decision-making. The ABC framework captures three areas that we believe can help address these barriers: building allyships, recognising biases and making climate change adaptation genuinely child-centred. We hope these principles can support policymakers and practitioners in moving from recognising children as vulnerable to actively including their needs, rights and perspectives in adaptation processes.

What further research would you like to see in this area?

An important next step is to examine how these principles can be translated into practice and whether they lead to more child-responsive climate change adaptation. We also need more research that involves children themselves, including younger children, rather than relying predominantly on adult perspectives. Finally, it will be important to evaluate not only whether children are mentioned in climate change policies, but whether policies ultimately result in meaningful improvements in children’s health and wellbeing.

What made you choose PLOS Climate as a venue for your article?

The interdisciplinary scope of PLOS Climate was a strong fit for our study, which sits at the intersection of climate change, health and policy. We also valued the journal’s global perspective and its focus on research that can inform climate action. Open access was particularly important to us, as we hope the findings will be useful not only to researchers, but also to policymakers, practitioners and organisations working with and for children.

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