Starting today, young people around the globe are invited to share what they are doing to combat climate change in the Global Youth Video Competition on Climate Change.
Two winners will get a trip to the UN Climate Chance Conference in the French capital in December (COP 21), where they will join the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) communications team as videographers
and reporters. The competition is open to young people between the ages of 18 and 30 and videos must be submitted by 17 August 2015.
Nick Nuttall, Spokesperson and UNFCCC Head of Communications and Outreach said, “All eyes are now on Paris as the world looks forward to a new, universal climate change agreement—one able to put humanity and the planet
on a path to a safer, healthier and more secure future.” “There is climate action happening everywhere. We are calling on the youth of the world to film how they are contributing to this massive momentum for change. This offers an opportunity for them to share their climate action story and then tell the story of COP 21,” he added.
Youth are invited to submit videos on engaging in climate action, key outcomes of their action, their success in meeting the climate change challenge locally and ways in which other youth across the world can get involved.
This video competition is made possible through a partnership between the UNFCCC, the UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme (https://sgp.undp.org/) and Television for the Environment- tve (http://www.tve.org/).
“Many young people around the world are very aware of the problems surrounding climate change. This competition gives them a voice to share their ideas, and their actions, with a global audience. Showcasing these films on the internet will inspire other young people who may not always engage with the mainstream news and media about the important issues leading up to the climate change talks in Paris,” said Nick Turner, project manager at Television for the Environment- tve.
Angelica Shamerina, Program Advisor, Climate Change, UNDP/GEF Small Grants Program, said: “We are looking forward to seeing young people’s innovation, the climate change solutions they are trying in their communities. We work in over 130 countries and prioritize youth involvement and what we see is that youth is actively working at local level to resolve environmental issues and improve their lives.”
Also participating in the launch event in Bonn, Chris Wright, Project Manager Adopt a Negotiator, Interim YOUNGO focal point, said: “Young people are facing the impacts of climate change head on, but I hope this will be a
great opportunity to highlight the amazing work we are doing around the world to combat it. We stand on the front-lines of the fight against fossil fuels and the campaigns to transition our communities to a sustainable future. I hope this competition will give young people around the world the chance to show it.”
Visit http://www.tvebiomovies.org/ to learn more about the competition or to submit a video. On Twitter the hashtag for the competition is #Video4COP21.
