The 2023 CMCC Climate Change Communication Award received double the number of applications compared to the previous edition, with 372 submissions from all over the world. Among the candidates, 183 projects from 52 different countries were deemed eligible and subjected to further evaluation. Finally, 25 initiatives were selected to run for the final prize. Spaces, images, voices, emotions, engagement and action, these are just few of the most prominent features of the 25 selected projects. These initiatives aim to reach new audiences and help them navigate the vast climate change information landscape. Among them, some harness the power of stories to raise awareness about the most pressing impacts on marginalized communities, while others use data as leverage to promote action.
Immersive experiences stimulate emotions, imagination and tell a straightforward story. From expeditions to the most remote places with PolarQuest, to green urban spaces with Green Obsession, Trees Towards Cities, Humans Towards Forests, to a Climate Capsule, these selected projects envelop the audience to fully engage their senses. Along with experience, also climate art has the ability to resonate with emotions and raise awareness, as demonstrated by the projects Econario, Lines of the Sea, ASH MEMORIES, anthropo(s)cene(s) and Feeling the Heat.
Stories of individuals and communities dealing with the adverse effects of climate change were insightfully conveyed by the projects The Cooling Solution and Faces of Climate Resilience, using the medium of photography and videography. In a distinctive narrative approach, Co-Creating New Narratives: A Catalyst for Climate Action and Solutions, presented a collection of poetry and fictional stories that were inspired by the connection between activism and science. The voices of researchers were also the protagonists of Bello Mondo, a podcast that blended storytelling with factual explanation.
To assist more specific audiences in navigating an ocean of climate-change related information, projects such as Climate Matters and Climate Change in Data: The Physical Science Basis placed accurate knowledge and data at the core of their work. These initiatives designed new information and visual strategies to facilitate the comprehension of climate research for journalists and IPCC report readers. An important role to the audience was given also by the online magazine #HablemosDeEmergenciaClimática and by the Climate and Environment Program in Central Asia: Communication for Climate and Awareness (C4CA), both using a participatory approach to develop their products.
Moving from understanding to action, we find some impactful and creative campaigns among the 25 best projects. Initiatives such as #MyEUClimatePact Challenge, Climate Campaigner project and Digital Cleanup Day invited their audience to actively contribute to the green transition. Whereas, the authors of another selected campaign, Dear Tomorrow, discovered that writing a letter to loved ones in the future could stimulate positive behavioral change.
In the field of climate change education, gamification can play a pivotal role in maintaining the audience engaged through competition and rewarding. Among the 25 projects selected, Cranky Uncle, Game On! Don’t let climate change end the game!, and Climate Connect: Empowering Climate Education with Data-Driven Insights and Practical Tools, created resources ranging from gaming apps to board games. Sharing an educational intent were also the two books Climate Change Comics and Let’s Unravel this knot!, targeted to a younger audience.
The winner among the 25 compelling projects described was announced during a high-level event held on November 16, 2023, at the Earth Technology Expo in Florence, with the contribution of international experts in the field.
