UNICEF Accuses Wealthy Countries of Creating Unsafe Environment for Children

The logo of the United Nations Childrens Fund, UNICEF, is pictured at their German headquarters in Cologne, file. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender
The logo of the United Nations Childrens Fund, UNICEF, is pictured at their German headquarters in Cologne, file. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender
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UNICEF Accuses Wealthy Countries of Creating Unsafe Environment for Children

The logo of the United Nations Childrens Fund, UNICEF, is pictured at their German headquarters in Cologne, file. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender
The logo of the United Nations Childrens Fund, UNICEF, is pictured at their German headquarters in Cologne, file. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender

A new UNICEF report has revealed that children in the world’s wealthiest countries grow in a relatively healthy environment. However, most of those countries are disproportionally contributing to destroying the environment around the world.

Researchers at the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti concluded that if everybody in the world consumed resources at the rate people do in OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) and EU countries, the equivalent of 3.3 earths would be needed to keep up with consumption levels.
If everyone were to consume resources at the rate at which people in Canada, Luxembourg and the United States do, at least five earths would be needed, stated the UNICEF bureau in Cologne.

Germany too has a very high consumption rate on the global level; the equivalent of 2.9 earths would be needed to keep up with the Germans’ lifestyle.

The UNICEF report involved 39 countries in the OECD and EU. The researchers wanted to investigate how each country fare in providing healthy environments for children. The report investigates the environmental print including the countries’ contributions to the climate crisis, and the dumping of e-waste.
Spain, Ireland and Portugal top the list of countries providing healthy environments for all children and contributing less to the global environmental problems. Germany ranked ninth on the same list.

Some of the wealthiest countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada and the United States, have a severe and widespread impact on global environments – based on CO2 emissions, e-waste and overall consumptions of resources per capita – and rank low overall on creating a healthy environment for children within their borders.

“Not only are the majority of rich countries failing to provide healthy environments for children within their borders, but they are also contributing to the destruction of children’s environments in other parts of the world. In some cases, we are seeing countries providing relatively healthy environments for children at home while being among the top contributors to pollutants that are destroying children’s environments abroad,” said Gunilla Olsson, director of UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti.



Saudi Pavilion Earns Exclusive WELL Health-Safety Rating at Expo 2025 Osaka

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka has received the WELL Health-Safety Rating - SPA
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka has received the WELL Health-Safety Rating - SPA
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Saudi Pavilion Earns Exclusive WELL Health-Safety Rating at Expo 2025 Osaka

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka has received the WELL Health-Safety Rating - SPA
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka has received the WELL Health-Safety Rating - SPA

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka has received the WELL Health-Safety Rating, making it the only international pavilion to achieve this certification to date.

During a ceremony at the Saudi Pavilion, Saudi Ambassador to Japan and Commissioner General of the Saudi Pavilion Dr. Ghazi Binzagr accepted the certificate from International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) Senior Vice President Jack Noonan, SPA reported.

Binzagr stated that the WELL certification reflects the pavilion's commitment to sustainable design and operational excellence. He emphasized that integrating WELL Building standards supports staff health and enhances the visitor experience, underscoring a focus on well-being.

The Health-Safety Rating, part of the WELL certification, is a globally recognized standard promoting health and well-being in built environments. It is based on research that improves human health through design interventions, operational protocols, and policies that foster a culture of well-being. This system creates spaces that enhance health, happiness, and productivity, and is managed by the IWBI to ensure independent evaluation and verification.

Designed by Foster + Partners and inspired by traditional Saudi villages, the pavilion incorporates sustainability elements, including renewable energy, low-carbon materials, and a lightweight façade with easily disassembled stone panels, thereby minimizing its environmental impact.

This certification highlights the pavilion's alignment with international standards for temporary buildings, focusing on occupant health in categories such as air quality, water quality, nutrition, lighting, physical fitness, comfort, and mental health.