In a ray of hope amid the current world economic crisis, children from around the globe have raised 21,000 dollars. The money will go to UNICEF’s emergency relief fund, to help young people living in regions affected by climate-related disasters. Organised by UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, the children’s paintings were auctioned at New York’s Harvard Club and online to enable people everywhere to bid.

The 27 original works sold in the auction were chosen from nearly 200,000 entries, collected over 17 years of organising the UNEP International Children’s Painting Competition. Showcasing youngster’s fears and hopes for the planet, they are a powerful plea for action. They reflect a UNEP-commissioned survey, revealing that 90 per cent of children across the globe think leaders should do whatever it takes’ to tackle climate change. The children’s messages truly resonated because every work of art was sold, with the two most sought-after paintings fetching 2,200 dollars each.

Charlotte Sullivan, aged 13, from England, won first place with her work of art. ‘I wanted to express the need for everyone to act because climate change is happening now,’ she says. ‘The silhouette of the figure in my painting represents the governments’ and global businesses’ idle hold over the world. In the background red, oranges and yellows represent fossil fuel power plants and the warming of the planet, while the people that could act, just use the umbrella to shelter behind. The umbrella illustrates the world being turned inside out by the wind. My wish is that everyone should take care of the environment.’

‘In my picture, the penguin is losing its family members because the ice suddenly breaks,’ explains Yakshigildina D Ramilevna, 13, from Russia. They cry to each other but they have drifted so far that their voices cannot be heard. The places which are considered suitable for Polar animals to live are losing inhabitants. People here in Russia dream of owning big luxury cars but just think about all those little animals and you will know what to do.’

The exhibition will be touring to various climate-related events around the world, before culminating in Copenhagen, for the 2009 Climate Change Conference.

To view all the paintingsContact: www​.unep​.org/​p​a​i​n​t​4​p​l​a​net
Charlotte Sullivan’s prize paintingPhoto: © UNEP/Paint4Planet