LEGO 031102021 A Better World Game Instructions

: June 6, 2024
: Lego

Age 0+ 031102021 Building
Instructions for a Better World

Dear grown-ups,

Great, we have your attention.

LEGO, the LEGO logo, and the Minifigure are trademarks of the
LEGO Group. ©2021 The LEGO Group. 93895
We know you’re very busy, and have lots of very serious things to do. Time is precious, we understand that. However, our time, especially our future, and the planet you are leaving to us are also precious. That is why we are asking for a moment of your time for you to listen to our ideas, involve us in those big decisions you are making for our planet and our future, and value our input. We want you to see us as fellow changemakers, to look to us for inspiration and innovation.
We don’t want to brag, but we believe we have some great ideas to tackle the global decline in biodiversity, prevent the arctic ice from melting and solve the global waste crisis. We have endless ideas to protect the planet.
Yes, not all of these ideas might be realistic in grown-ups’ eyes, but within them lie the sparks of inspiration that scientists, policymakers, urban planners, architects, and others, need to adapt to and reverse the effects of the climate crisis.
Over 6000 of us around the world have contributed our voices to the ten instructions in this booklet*, which mean everything to us but equally mean nothing without your actions.
The power may be yours, but the future is ours.**
Please act.
Please involve us.

These ten instructions represent the top ten categories of children’s responses to the question “What would you like world leaders to do to take better care of our planet?” from a 2021 survey conducted in 7 countries around the world by the LEGO Group.
The accompanying quotes are excerpts from children’s survey responses and from workshops conducted globally in 2021.
** Quote from children´s manifesto presented to world leaders by the Children´s General Assembly 2021 in Billund, Denmark, the Capital of Children.

Building Instructions for a Better World

“Reduce the harmful impact of factories on the environment.”
“Recycle every day and ask everyone else to do the same of course in a polite way.”
“Make water bottles from recycled materials instead of single-use plastic.”

REDUCE POLLUTION AND WASTE.

“90% of the world’s children breathe poisonous air every day.” – UNICEF, The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis (2021), p50.

“Make it illegal to cut down rainforests.”
“Every country must have a certain percentage of their land allocated for wild nature.”
“More sanctuaries should be built to protect endangered wildlife.”

PROTECT NATURE.

The loss of biodiversity will also lead to worse child health conditions around the world.
– UNICEF, Why Biodiversity is Important for Children (2020).

“Fine people who pollute the environment.”
“Make a law to use bikes instead of cars when traveling less than 10 km.”
“Stricter rules about emissions and more access to clean electricity like solar power and wind energy.”

CHANGE LAWS.

Child-sensitive climate policies need to be ambitious and urgent to protect the rights and best interests of the child from harm caused by climate change.
– UNICEF, Are climate change policies child-sensitive? (2020), P5.

“Act immediately and don’t talk and blame each other, it’s five minutes to twelve.”
“Doing and doing, not so much chatting!”
“Awake to [the] real situation of climate change … act now, not tomorrow.”

STOP IGNORING THE PROBLEM: DO MORE.

High-risk countries are not receiving the financial flows needed for development, production and clean energy research.
– UNICEF, The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis (2021), p96.

“Have more programs that us kids can get involved in.”

“Kids need mandatory climate lessons as a part of the school.”

“They should make the environment an issue to discuss in our classrooms.”

EDUCATE PEOPLE.

“Provide children with climate education and green skills, critical for their adaptation to and preparation for the effects of climate change.”
– UNICEF, The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis (2021), p120.

“Grow plants on top of factories to help absorb the CO₂ they make.”
“No cars in busy places such as city centers unless you are a key worker.”
“Make electric cars cheaper so more people can buy them.”

REDUCE EMISSIONS.

Countries must cut emissions by at least 45% of 2010 levels by 2030 to keep warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
– UNICEF, The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis, (2021), p119.

“…work together and not against each other…” “…find solutions that are possible for all countries no matter how developed they are.” “…we should all gather up together and save the planet who is with me !!!”

COOPERATE INTERNATIONALLY.

“The global environment can be safeguarded through enhanced international cooperation and linked locally relevant measures.”
– IPBES, Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (2019).

“Lead by example…” “They should take a look at themselves and not fly around the whole world for short meetings.”
“Walk the talk and truly make a difference.”

LEADERS, CHANGE YOUR OWN BEHAVIOR.

“Stop putting money before the planet.”
“Give more money to people that are researching climate change or inventing things that help.”
“Invest more money and resources in environmental protection.”

INVEST IN THE ENVIRONMENT.

Investments in key areas like air, soil, and water pollution, water scarcity, and flooding will reduce climate risk for hundreds of millions of children worldwide.
– UNICEF, The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis, (2021), p87-89.

“We need to address the future of children living [with] the results of climate change.”
“If [you] care more about our planet, then [you] will care more about our future.”
“…we need to stop looking away when someone needs help so start caring.”

HELP PEOPLE AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.

“…despite the many ways climate change impacts them, children are consistently overlooked in the design and content of climate policies and related processes.”
– UNICEF, The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis, (2021), p96.

OUR NEXT GENERATION

VULNERABLE
Children deserve the very best in life but climate change threatens the basic human rights of millions of children around the world.

PLAYFUL
Children unlock the world around them through play – exploring, experimenting, challenging, and succeeding. Let’s be more like them.

CREATIVE
Children have the imagination and skills – creativity, problem-solving, innovation, and collaboration – needed to contribute to solving the climate crisis but are not always empowered to do so by adults.
CARING
Children care deeply about the environment and are motivated to act but don’t always feel that adults set the examples, create the conditions, and model the behaviors they need to succeed.

These instructions for protecting the planet were put together based on the input of children worldwide who took part in “Building Instructions for a Better World” creative workshops and a study conducted by the LEGO Group with more than 6,000 children aged 8-18 in seven countries around the world.
At the LEGO Group, we are committed to helping children develop the 21st Century skills they need to thrive in the future through play. Skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, innovation, iteration will help children become responsible, engaged, and empowered global citizens.

OUR PLANET

HEATING UP
Greenhouse gas concentrations reached new highs in 2020, at the end of the warmest decade on record.
Without urgent action, temperatures are likely to exceed our collective target of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels as early as 2030.
Warmer temperatures put children’s basic human rights at risk: access to food, water, clean air, and shelter.***

FOOD INSECURITY
About 10% of Earth’s children and adults experienced severe food insecurity in 2019.
This number will continue to increase as climate change threatens global habitats and biodiversity.

MASS EXTINCTION
Today’s children will witness the fastest mass extinction in the planet’s history.
According to the UN, 1 million species are now at risk of extinction, with many likely to disappear within the next few decades, further unbalancing ecological cycles.

EXTREME WEATHER
Rising temperatures contribute to an increase in extreme weather events, including freezing temperatures, heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires, and storms, putting millions of lives at risk and pressuring children and families to leave their homes and communities, causing further disruption into their social and educational lives.
MELTING ICE
Rapid Arctic warming threatens polar habitats, disrupts global weather systems, and drives rising sea levels, threatening habitats and communities.

DISPLACEMENT
From 2010-to 2019, climate change triggered an estimated average of 23.1 million displacements of people each year, many of them children.*

SOURCES:

World Meteorological Organization, The State of the Global Climate (2020).
** IPBES, Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (2019)*** UNICEF, The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis (2021).

About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO ® System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine.
The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name is derived from the two Danish words LEg GOdt, which mean “Play Well.” Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund and is committed to building a better planet for future generations.

How to Build the Change

Build the Change is the LEGO Group’s flagship sustainability education program.
(Deceptively) simple and effective, it has been tested with kids around the world for over a decade.
Build the Change gives children the space to explore sustainability topics and a playful way to develop solutions for real-world environmental and social challenges.
Our commitment to the children that take part is that we’ll springboard their ideas into the sights of decision-makers designing the future.

Our commitment to Learning through Play

The LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation are committed to becoming a global force for Learning through Play.
We aim to redefine play and reimagine learning with hands-on learning experiences like Build the Change, where children are actively engaged through a meaningful and enjoyable experience, testing and trying out things with others.
Success for us is seeing more and more children around the world become creative, engaged, and life-long learners, equipped with a breadth of skills for their holistic development.

Our commitment to sustainability

The LEGO Group is playing its part in building a sustainable future and creating a brighter world for our children to inherit.
We are joining forces with children, parents, educators, our employees, partners, charities, and experts to have a lasting impact and inspire the children of today to become the builders of tomorrow.
Through educational programs like Build The change we are working to equip children with the skills and knowledge they will need to
The LEGO Group is playing its part in building a sustainable future and creating a brighter world for our children to inherit.
We are joining forces with children, parents, educators, our employees, partners, charities, and experts to have a lasting impact and inspire the children of today to become the builders of tomorrow.
Through educational programs like Build the Change, we are working to equip children with the skills and knowledge they will need.

Thousands of children’s ideas …

Ten instructions … One big ask … Act … Now.
We hope you will be inspired by these Building Instructions for a Better World, brought to you by children, the builders of tomorrow.
All of us have a responsibility to listen to children more – to their concerns, thoughts, and aspirations. We must work to involve them more meaningfully in decision-making.
Let’s show them that we value their ideas by acting with urgency, sincerity, and substance. Let’s help them influence and be more visible. Let’s empower them to build the change they want to see.
After all, children are the most important stakeholders in the future of our planet. It is their future, and they need to be involved in shaping it.
Thank you, The LEGO Group On behalf of the children of the world.

Build the change