Fully Funded UNFCC 2023 UN Global Climate Action Awards in Dubai (UN Climate Change Conference, COP 28)

The UN Global Climate Action Awards are spearheaded by UN Climate Change to shine a light on the enormous groundswell of activities underway across the globe that are moving the world toward a highly resilient, low-carbon future. The UN Global Climate Action Awards recognize innovative and transformative solutions that address both climate change and wider economic, social and environmental challenges.

The awards programme, run by UN Climate Change since 2011, recognizes the world’s most innovative examples of action to tackle climate change. This year’s awards will showcase youth and projects taking bold and effective climate action in the areas of energy transition and resilient nature.

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

The 2023 UN Global Climate Action Awards will recognize climate action led by young people that is achieving real and tangible results in two categories:

1. Youth leading the energy transition: Recognizing the efforts of youth (up to 35 years of age) in driving renewable energy and/or energy efficiency activities that are locally led and/or community focused. These activities incorporate elements of education, training, and public awareness to achieve goals, and achieve greater equity in the community.

2. Youth supporting resilient nature: Recognizing innovative work on nature and resiliency by an individual or group of young people (up to 35 years of age) in indigenous and/or local communities. The activities should be designed to restore, maintain, or enhance nature’s resilience or its contributions to people, through nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches. These activities incorporate public awareness, public participation, and/or public access to information to achieve its goals, achieving greater equity in the community.

The Awards are implemented in partnership with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to IRENA.

Eligibility Requirements

Applications will be reviewed based upon the following criteria:
Youth award on energy transition:
A project, initiative, program or other activity (led or implemented by young people up to 35 years of age);
Demonstrating renewable energy and/or energy efficiency outcomes;
Locally led and/or community focused;
Utilising elements of education, training, and/or public awareness to achieve goals;
Addressing issues of equity in the community; and
Be already implemented, or in the course of implementation.
Youth award on nature and eco-system based climate action:
A project, initiative, program or other activity (led or implemented by young people up to 35 years of age) in indigenous or local communities;
Demonstrated activities designed to increase natures’ resilience through mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction actions, including through nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches, while minimizing negative and fostering positive impacts of climate action on biodiversity; and/or
Demonstrated efforts to restore, maintain and enhance nature’s contributions to people, including ecosystem functions and services…through nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches for the benefit of all people and nature;
Incorporating elements of public awareness, public participation, and/or public access to information to achieve its goals;
Addressing issues of equity in the community; and
Be already implemented, or in the course of implementation.

Benefits

Winners will receive a package of benefits, including travel to and participation in the COP28 Climate Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Award winners will therefore receive:

UN Climate Change Award certificate presented at a special awards event at COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Travel, daily allowance, to participate in COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in the UAE

Opportunities to network and present work to policymakers during the UN Climate Change Conference.
A video produced about their initiative and distributed to the media
Dedicated webpage on the UN Climate Change website
Participation in relevant speaking arrangements throughout 2024
Year-long mentoring programme tailored to the needs of each winner

The mentoring programme is intended to empower the selected winners to build upon their current achievements by providing a year’s worth of mentoring in priority areas specified by the winners. These may include developing further capacity in advocacy, communications, technical solutions, and/or accessing financing, for example.