Written by: Kimberly White

The UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, has announced a new video competition to shed light on the climate crisis. Dr. Al Zeyoudi launched #ItAffectsYou during the United Nations Youth Climate Summit in September. 

#ItAffectsYou challenges participants to produce a compelling video that depicts the impacts of the climate crisis or showcases efforts and solutions working to mitigate climate impacts. The global competition is open to young adults between the ages of 18 and 35. 

“The competition aims to highlight the very real climate change threat and encourage youth engagement in spreading the word. The creative video submissions from participants will help more people understand the urgency of climate action and persuade them to join the climate action bandwagon,” stated Dr. Al Zeyoudi. 

To enter the competition, participants need to upload their videos to Globally Great, a worldwide video sharing platform focused on highlighting sustainability. After uploading to the Globally Great platform, participants are asked to share their videos on Twitter using the hashtag #ItAffectsYou and tagging the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (@MoCCaEUAE).

Participants enter for a chance to win a trip to the UAE to visit leading sustainability and clean energy sites and a hosted visit to the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2020. Second and third place winners will receive a Canon EOS R mirrorless digital camera and the Canon EOS 6D Mark II camera. 

#ItAffectsYou is a joint collaboration between the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), Majid Al Futtaim Group, Twitter, and Globally Great.

“What an imaginative way to give young people from around the world the opportunity to share their hopes, dreams and fears about climate change! At Globally Great, we are excited to join the Ministry in this initiative, and can’t wait to watch and host the inspirational videos that this competition will generate. We wish all the aspirants the very best of luck,” said Stefanie Schachtschabel, Managing Partner at Globally Great. 

In honor of the competition, Twitter unveiled a dedicated emoji featuring a globe with a heart symbol held up by two hands. The emoji is unlocked when the hashtag #ItAffectsYou is tweeted. Additionally, Twitter will offer the first-place winner a Twitter Ads for Good grant to enable them to promote their content and account to raise further awareness of the climate crisis and solutions.

Video submissions can be up to two minutes in length and must be submitted by November 30, 2019. MOCCAE will announce the winners via Twitter on January 10, 2020. 

For more information on the competition and how to enter, please visit #ItAffectsYou