We need to think of the future and the planet we are going to leave to our children and their children.

The line frames environmental stewardship as an intergenerational moral duty rather than a discretionary policy choice. By invoking “our children and their children,” Annan shifts the time horizon beyond electoral cycles and immediate economic trade-offs, urging long-term thinking about climate, biodiversity, and resource use. The quote also reflects a common UN rhetorical strategy: grounding global problems in universally shared human relationships (parenthood and responsibility) to build consensus across nations. Its significance lies in linking sustainability to legacy—what we bequeath—thereby making the costs of inaction feel personal and ethically urgent.