Beijing, October 12, 2025 — The 2025 Climate & Sustainability Photography Awards Ceremony and Sustainable Art Salon successfully concluded in Beijing. Featuring an awards presentation, panel discussions, and a curated exhibition of finalist works, the event brought together leaders from international organizations and creative communities to reimagine global sustainability — culminating in “Symbiosis,” a visual narrative that bridges art, empathy, and environmental consciousness.

Co-hosted by Shanghai Climate Week and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and organized by the Shanghai Climate Week Youth Council, the competition received strategic support from the SEE Foundation and the Global Shapers Community Shanghai I Hub of the World Economic Forum. Compared to the 2024 edition, the 2025 Awards expanded significantly in scale and international reach, attracting over 1,500 submissions from photographers worldwide. After several rounds of expert review, 40 outstanding works were selected, with international participants accounting for more than 25% of the total entries.

As one of the signature highlights of Shanghai Climate Week 2025, the exhibition made its debut on April 22 — World Earth Day — at the Shanghai Botanical Garden, opening with the “ReVouge 24 Hours” sustainable fashion show and closing with panel discussions blending art and nature. The event drew coverage from over 180 media outlets and reached nearly 10 million viewers, further expanding public engagement with climate and sustainability topics.

Ms. Remoca Shi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Climate Week Executive Committee and Secretary-General of the Youth Council, served as the host of the ceremony. She introduced the purpose and progress of the Awards, emphasizing that the entire exhibition design utilized eco-friendly and recyclable materials, embodying the event’s sustainable ethos through both concept and execution.

Mr. William Wang, Chief Representative for Asia-Pacific of Shanghai Climate Week and Director-General of the Youth Council, delivered the opening remark on behalf of the organizers. He shared the broader vision of Shanghai Climate Week, expressed appreciation for the photographers’ creativity and commitment, and announced that the 2026 Climate & Sustainability Photography Awards will officially launch in January 2026 during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

Mr. Rabih El-Haddad, Director of the Division for Multilateral Diplomacy at UNITAR, emphasized that photography is not only a form of artistic expression but also “a universal language that transcends language and geography.” It captures realities that statistics alone cannot convey and communicates urgency in ways that policy papers often struggle to achieve. Each image, he noted, is “a reminder of our shared responsibility to safeguard the planet for present and future generations.” He added that the Awards are not merely a celebration of artistic creativity, but also a reaffirmation of the global community’s collective commitment to confronting climate change and advancing a sustainable future.

H.E. ZHAO Shaohua, Senior Advisor to the Shanghai Climate Week Youth Council and former Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Culture, delivered keynote remarks and presented the Awards to the winners. She commended the organizers for the professionalism and vision demonstrated in this year’s event, praising the marked improvement in artistic quality and international influence. She encouraged young photographers to “express concern through the lens and convey hope through imagery,” emphasizing the power of art to inspire conviction and compassion for a more sustainable world.

Following the remarks, H.E. announced the list of winners on behalf of the organizing committee and presented the awards to the four winning photographers. The ceremony honored five winning works: Lu Lin — “Lens Under Fury Photographing the Barracuda Storm” and “The Smile of a Baby Sea Lion” (Grand Prize and SDG14 Life Below Water Winner); Mao Hanmin — “The Fight” (SDG15 Life on Land Winner); Wei Feifan — “Coexistence of City and Wilderness” (SDG13 Climate Action Winner); and Zhang Yifei — “Nature Chip” (SDG9 Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure Winner).

Three roundtable dialogues followed the ceremony, exploring sustainability from diverse perspectives — from Climate Action Beyond the Lens, to Innovating for Sustainable Business Models, to Photography in Focus on Sustainability.

Meanwhile, the “Symbiosis” Beijing Exhibition, curated by Jiang Chenqi and Remoca Shi, officially opened to the public for a seven-day showcase. Through a powerful visual journey, the exhibition captures the melting of glaciers and the rebirth of communities, reflecting both the tension and harmony between humanity and nature. The photographers’ lenses transform data on rising seas and vanishing species into vivid allegories of life—reminding viewers that photography is not merely documentation, but action itself: a call to awareness, empathy, and collective imagination for a sustainable future.