Lego has released new climate change handbook written by children

Lego has released a new COP26 themed handbook which is written by children to encourage world leaders to tackle the climate crisis, showing what young people think should be handled.

Known for their often-complex instructions, LEGO has pared down their most recent project to only ten steps – but it is, perhaps, their most ambitious project to date.

‘Building Instructions for a Better World’, a handbook mocked up in the style of LEGO’s classic instruction packet graphics, lists ten building ‘instructions’ based on a workshop with young people aged eight to 18-years-old around the globe, with over 6000 participants.

These instructions include ‘help people and future generations’, ‘cooperate internationally’ and ‘Leaders, change your own behaviour’, and were released ahead of COP26, the two-week UN Climate Change Conference which has seen world leaders gather in Glasgow, and that has been criticised for its mishandling of the climate crisis at the expense of marginalised groups.

LEGO said, in a statement around the handbook: ‘The building instructions underline the responsibility of decision-makers to deliver on climate change for those who will be most affected – the next generation.’

LEGO also conducted research which showed that nearly half of children (48%) think about the environment once a week, with 11% thinking about it daily, showing the distinct impact the climate crisis is having on young people and how much they want to do something about it – with 51% wanting a career that actively improves the environment.

LEGO itself has also shown a commitment to sustainability, aiming to reduce its absolute carbon emissions by 37% by 2032, unveiling its first 4×2 bricks made from recycled plastic, and is investing over £290 million into sustainability projects over the next three years, as it is known for producing billions of plastic bricks per year. Read mo

In related news, Lego has also made a name for itself listening to children’s voices, having recently announced it working to remove gender stereotypes from its toys after a recent survey found that attitudes to play remain unequal and restrictive due to gender bias. It is hoped that the handbook will encourage world leaders to think about others, including the future generation, when conducting their talks – and not to reach for sustainability at the expense of inclusivity.