UN Climate Change: 2021 Youth Video Challenge to Showcase Climate Action

Against the backdrop of the crucial UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow now less than three months away, an ambitious international video project is launching today to empower young people worldwide to take climate action and build a greener future.

Climate scientists are warning of the need to peak emissions as soon as possible and reduce them by 45% by 2030 and to start reversing damage to nature – two key areas that can put the world on track to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

Under the theme ‘Restoring balance with nature,’ the Earthbeat initiative aims to give young people around the world the platform, tools, inspiration and knowledge to help them be part of the widespread change needed to meet that urgent deadline.

“Tackling the climate crisis is a huge challenge. We need to urgently get emissions on a downward curve and halt the damage to nature. But the message of this project is really positive: everyone can get involved. So go out and grab the opportunities,´ said Fleur Newman, Action Empowerment Unit Lead at UN Climate Change, one of the partners of the initiative, alongside the two related conventions, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

The Earthbeat Challenge invites young people aged 14-30 to produce 3-minute video stories illustrating what they are doing to help tackle the climate crisis; to protect and restore biodiversity and ecosystems in rural or urban areas; and to protect and restore land and soil and the life it supports.

“Young people are taking climate action all over the world. We want to enable them to use the power of the internet and the smartphone, to join up all these local initiatives and turn community action into a global change movement,” said Earthbeat Challenge organiser Nick Turner.

Earthbeat has been developed by Youth4Planet a non-profit organisation which works internationally to enable young people to develop their digital storytelling and journalism skills so they can become active participants in tackling the climate and nature emergency.

A range of interlinked activities are planned throughout 2021 to engage, share and amplify global youth voices in the run up to and beyond COP26 in Glasgow in November, including digital training sessions and events.

Closing date for entry to the video competition is 19 September. The winning videos will be screened in front of a global audience during COP26.