Applications for the Prestigious UN Global Climate Action Awards 2023 Are Now Open

Young people who are showing courageous climate leadership can nominate their work for the 2023 United Nations Global Climate Action Awards.

Since 2011, the UN Climate Change Awards have recognised the world's most innovative instances of climate change action. This year's awards will recognise young people and projects who are pursuing ambitious and effective climate action in the areas of energy transition and resilient nature.

The winners of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in Expo City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 30 to December 12, 2023, will be honoured.

"The UN Global Climate Action Awards represent an opportunity to recognise the innovative climate action that young people around the world are undertaking to ensure that their communities are more sustainable, resilient, and equitable places to live," said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell. "The Awards also highlight young people's climate leadership, setting an inspiring example for others to follow."

The UN Global Climate Action Awards highlight actions that aim to assist meet the Paris Agreement's temperature goals. The Awards have recognised transformative projects such as the Quebec government's climate finance programme and Microsoft's internal carbon charge. Previous winners include the world's greenest football club, Lebanon's first all-women solar squad, a Swedish restaurant chain developing the world's first 'climate positive' menu, and the Danish island of Sams, which has fully overhauled its energy infrastructure.

In two categories, the 2023 UN Global Climate Action Awards will recognise climate action driven by young people that is achieving genuine and demonstrable results:

1. Recognising the efforts of youngsters (up to 35 years old) in driving renewable energy and/or energy efficiency activities that are locally led and/or community focused. To fulfil goals and promote more fairness in the community, these efforts involve components of education, training, and public awareness. 

2. Recognising creative work on nature and resiliency by an individual or group of young people (up to 35 years old) in indigenous and/or local communities. Nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches should be used to repair, maintain, or enhance nature's resilience or contributions to humanity. To achieve its goals of better fairness in the community, these initiatives integrate public awareness, public participation, and/or public access to information.

The Awards are organised in collaboration with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the UAE Permanent Representative to IRENA.

Applications for the 2023 UN Global Climate Action Award will be accepted until 15 October 2023 at:https://momentum.unfccc.int/