On 12 October, the 2025 Climate & Sustainability Photography Awards Ceremony and Sustainable Art Salon was held at WF CENTRAL in Beijing. With an awards ceremony, roundtable discussions and an exhibition of shortlisted works, the event brought together guests from international organisations and many sectors of society to discuss new paths for global environmental governance and sustainable development, celebrate this year's winners and share a visual feast themed "Symbiosis".
This year's Climate & Sustainability Photography Awards were co-hosted by Shanghai Climate Week and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and organised by the Shanghai Climate Week Youth Council, with strategic support from the SEE Foundation and the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Shanghai Hub, and Forbes China as lead media partner. Building on last year's inaugural edition, the 2025 Awards further extended their international reach, receiving more than 1,500 high-quality entries from photographers around the world. After several rounds of expert review, 40 sets of works were shortlisted, more than 25% of them by entrants from outside China. As one of the highlights of Shanghai Climate Week 2025, the touring exhibition opened its initial stop at the Shanghai Botanical Garden on Earth Day, 22 April, with the "ReVouge 24 Hours" sustainable fashion show, and closed with an exhibition blending art and nature and a series of cross-sector dialogues. It was covered by more than 180 media platforms and reached nearly ten million people, further raising public awareness of climate and sustainability issues.
Ms. Remoca Shi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Climate Week Executive Committee Secretariat and Secretary-General of the Youth Council, hosted the awards ceremony. She gave a brief introduction to the purpose of the Awards and the progress of the series of events, and noted that the exhibition's design and installation used eco-friendly, recyclable materials throughout, echoing nature through good design and carrying forward the Awards' commitment to sustainability.
Remoca Shi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Climate Week Executive Committee Secretariat and Secretary-General of the Youth Council, speaking
Mr. William Wang, Chief Representative for Asia Pacific of Shanghai Climate Week and Director-General of its Youth Council, delivered remarks on behalf of the organisers. He shared the overall progress and vision of Shanghai Climate Week and the Awards, thanked the photographers for their enthusiastic participation and high-quality work, and announced that the 2026 Climate & Sustainability Photography Awards will be launched during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week next January.
William Wang, Chief Representative for Asia Pacific of Shanghai Climate Week and Director-General of its Youth Council, delivering remarks
In his remarks, Rabih El-Haddad, Director of the Division for Multilateral Diplomacy at UNITAR, said that photography is not only an artistic expression but also an important language for advancing global climate action. With a power that transcends words and borders, it creates resonance, and every work reminds us of our shared responsibility to protect the planet. He stressed that the event is not only a recognition of artistic creativity but also a renewed commitment to working together worldwide to tackle climate change and build a sustainable future.
Ms. Zhao Shaohua, Senior Adviser to the Shanghai Climate Week Youth Council and former Deputy Party Secretary and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, delivered an address and presented the awards. She congratulated the organisers on the successful organisation and delivery of the Awards, recognised the marked improvement in the quality of the works and in the Awards' international reach, and encouraged young photographers to "express concern through the lens and convey hope through images", using the power of art to bring more conviction and warmth to a sustainable future.
Zhao Shaohua, Senior Adviser to the Shanghai Climate Week Youth Council and former Deputy Party Secretary and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, delivering remarks
On behalf of the organising committee, Ms. Zhao Shaohua announced the winners and presented awards to four photographers. This year's winning works are: "Underwater Photographer and the Storm of Waves" and "The Smile of a Baby Sea Lion" by Lu Lin, Overall Winner and winner of the Life Below Water category; "Struggle" by Mao Hanmin, winner of the Life on Land category; "City and Wild in Symbiosis" by Wei Feifan, winner of the Climate Action category; and "Nature's Chip" by Zhang Yifei, winner of the Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure category.
Group photo of the winners of the 2025 Climate & Sustainability Photography Awards
Lu Lin, "Underwater Photographer and the Storm of Waves"
Lu Lin, "The Smile of a Baby Sea Lion"
Mao Hanmin, "Struggle"
Wei Feifan, "City and Wild in Symbiosis"
Zhang Yifei, "Nature's Chip"
Zhang Chengchang, Executive Committee member of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Shanghai Hub, moderated a roundtable on "Climate Action Beyond the Lens". Ms. Li Mingke, Senior Creative Communications Manager at WildAid, explained how the organisation, guided by its core idea of "conservation through communication", brings conservation issues into public view and encourages people to choose more sustainable lifestyles. Ms. Lou Yan, President, China, PADI AWARE, spoke from the perspective of the diving community about how PADI combines dive training with ocean conservation education, turning millions of divers into "ocean advocates" and engaging the wider public in protecting the ocean. Ms. Zhang Le, Board Member of the SEE Foundation (Beijing Entrepreneurs Environmental Protection Foundation), used the "Bring the Leopards Home" special fund as an example of the foundation's work and results in ecological restoration and green innovation.
Roundtable I: Climate Action Beyond the Lens
Zhao Chenchen, a CGTN new media journalist, moderated a roundtable on "Innovation in Sustainable Business Models". Mr. He Longyuan, General Manager of WF CENTRAL, described Hongkong Land's long-term approach to urban renewal and commercial operations, highlighting green buildings and sustainable management as drivers of high-quality urban development. Ms. Sissi Chao, General Manager of RePlasTerial, shared how the company uses innovative recycled-plastic materials to support the circular economy and called for technological innovation to turn waste into resources. Ms. Zhai Fang, Chief Operating Officer of Strawbear Entertainment Group, explained from the perspective of the entertainment industry how companies can raise environmental awareness through film and television content and use their social influence to inspire public attention and action on sustainable development.
Roundtable II: Innovation in Sustainable Business Models
Mr. Jiang Chenqi, member of the Shanghai Climate Week Youth Council and youth curator, moderated a roundtable on "When Photography Focuses on Sustainability", discussing with the winning photographers the stories and inspiration behind their works and taking the audience into the world of sustainability seen through the lens, to appreciate the ideas and insights each image conveys.
Roundtable III: When Photography Focuses on Sustainability
At the same time, the Beijing stop of the touring exhibition "SYMBIOSIS" opened for a seven-day run. Using images as its medium, the exhibition shows melting glaciers and communities being reborn, documenting the tension and symbiosis between people and nature. Through their lenses, young photographers express concern and convey hope, turning figures on rising sea levels and lists of vanishing species into vivid parables of life. Images are not only a record but also a form of action: they awaken the public's feeling for nature and bring young people's creativity and social imagination to a sustainable future.
Scenes from the awards ceremony and exhibition