Preamble

The Climate Photo Award invites and celebrates the work of documentary photographers, storytellers, conservation photographers, nature photographers, and photojournalists committed to environmental causes. The award recognizes visual excellence in both high-impact single photographs and long-form stories and visual essays, exploring the climate crisis, ecosystem health, the management and vulnerability of protected areas, and the status of threatened species, as well as solutions, community resilience, and global conservation efforts.

Given the urgency and socio-environmental complexity of our time, this contest demands a rigorous commitment to truth, scientific accuracy, documentary rigor, and absolute respect for the subjects and natural environments photographed. This Code of Ethics is mandatory for all participants and aims to safeguard the integrity of the works and public trust.

Section 1: Image Integrity and Digital Editing

Whether dealing with a single photograph or a series within a documentary story, all works must be an accurate record of the reality observed before the lens. The use of digital tools must be limited to faithfully enhancing technical qualities without altering factual truth.

1. Prohibition of Content Alteration

• Images must not be altered by the addition, rearrangement, inversion, distortion, or removal of elements within the frame.
• The use of generative fill tools, cloning to conceal structural elements, or the artificial alteration of species and landscapes is strictly prohibited, as is the presentation of images wholly or partially generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

2. Permitted Manipulations

• Traditional cropping and global/local adjustments that do not alter the scene's information are permitted (exposure, contrast, saturation, white balance, and conversion to monochrome).
• Advanced scientific or documentary techniques—such as focus stacking, HDR, or stitching panoramas—are permitted provided they faithfully reflect the original scene without introducing fictitious elements.

3. Verification and RAW Files

Finalist participants must be prepared to submit unmodified original camera files (RAW, unedited scanned negatives, or native video footage) for technical auditing if required by the jury.

Section 2: Ethics in Conservation, Nature, and Threatened Species

The documentation of wildlife, natural habitats, and especially threatened species and protected areas, must be governed by the principle that no single photograph or reportage justifies harming nature.

1. Wildlife Welfare and Protection of Threatened Species

Any practice that stresses, harasses, fatigues, or endangers wildlife is strictly prohibited, particularly for species categorized as endangered. This includes bans on irresponsible baiting, using captive animals and passing them off as wild (unless explicitly declared as part of legitimate rescue or rehabilitation projects), or revealing exact locations of nests, dens, or critical breeding areas if it facilitates poaching.

Exclusion of Direct Contact / Interaction: Photographs showing people holding, touching, or interacting closely with wild animals are strictly prohibited, except when documenting authorized conservation, veterinary, or scientific rescue/rehabilitation work (which must be explicitly detailed in the caption).

2. Respect for Protected Areas and Fragile Habitats

• Photographers and storytellers must strictly comply with local and international regulations of protected areas (national parks, biosphere reserves, marine protected areas, etc.) and adhere to Leave No Trace environmental ethics.
• It is forbidden to alter vegetation, clear terrain, or modify the natural environment to obtain a cleaner frame.

Section 3: Human Dignity, Consent, and Communities on the Environmental Frontline

Stories and single images regarding climate change and conservation often involve Indigenous peoples, local communities, and land guardians inhabiting threatened ecosystems. Their representation must be ethical and respectful.

1. Dignity Versus Sensationalism

People must be portrayed with dignity, recognizing their active role as territorial defenders, environmental stewards, or resilient communities, avoiding paternalistic or reductionist visions of mere victimization.

2. Informed Consent and Transparency

Authors are responsible for obtaining informed consent from the portrayed individuals, ensuring they understand the purpose of the contest and the public dissemination of the images. Special care must be taken when documenting minors and vulnerable communities.

When photographing minors, explicit permission from parents or legal guardians is required, ensuring their identity, location, and dignity are fully protected.

3. Disclosure of Direction or Staging

If a single photograph or part of a story corresponds to a formal portrait directed within the framework of a documentary project, its staged nature must be transparent to the jury and the public through the description of the work.

Section 4: Rigor, Context, and Transparency in Captions and Descriptions

For single photographs and stories, narrative context and informational accuracy are as vital as visual quality.

1. Accuracy of Scientific and Geographic Data

Captions, synopses, and descriptions (for both individual pieces and essays) must be rigorously truthful. They must accurately include geographic location, socio-environmental context, the actual conservation status of the species mentioned, and the correct names of the protected areas involved.

2. Declaration of Special Methodologies

• If special documentation methodologies have been used (such as camera traps, drones under strict regulations, or scientific collaborations), these must be clearly detailed in the accompanying information of the work.
• Captions must never falsify reality or exaggerate dramatic or climatic situations that did not actually occur at the moment of capture.

Section 5: Consequences of Non-Compliance

The integrity of the Climate Photo Award depends on the honesty of its community. Any breach of this Code of Ethics—detected during preliminary audits, jury deliberations, or via substantiated complaints following the announcement of winners—will result in:

1. Immediate disqualification of the participating individual work, series, or story.
2. Formal withdrawal of awards, prizes, or mentions previously granted.
3. Indefinite disqualification from participating in future editions of the contest.