"Undoubtedly, climate change affects the most vulnerable communities, including children, who are most susceptible to the negative impact due to development factors," said Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Reneta Koleva at an event on Children and Climate, organised by UNICEF on the sidelines of the COP28 global climate meeting in Dubai.

In her words, the change in behaviour of all societal groups provides an opportunity to address issues related to environmental sustainability and the fight against climate change. "The task ahead of us is to improve the understanding by society, especially children and young people, of the benefits of achieving zero pollution, energy and resource efficiency, preservation of natural capital, climate change and its consequences," added Reneta Koleva.

Bulgaria is making significant efforts in this direction and every year the Ministry's regional structures conduct national campaigns to raise public awareness and build a culture to combat climate change, the Minister said. She added: "Thousands of children and schoolchildren take part in the various awareness-raising events within the framework of these campaigns - competitions, exhibitions, clean-up and reforestation campaigns, lectures, seminars, talks, and much more."

Bulgaria is among the first countries to join the UNICEF Declaration on Children and the Environment.

In the framework of COP28, Bulgaria will host an event on children and climate, which will take place on 8 December, with the participation of the Minister of Environment and Water, Julian Popov, the Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demographic Affairs Dubravka Šuica, the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF Kitty van der Heijden, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment of Spain Teresa Ribera, the Minister of Environment of Belgium Zakia Khattabi.

The full programme of events at the Bulgarian Pavilion at COP28 in Dubai, UAE, 1-10 December 2023, can be viewed here: https://www.moew.government.bg/bg/klimat/cop28/