Decade of Change award: winning photos bring the climate crisis into sharp focus

(Image credit: Richard John Seymour, Decade of Change 2022 Single Image Winner)

Decade of Change is the latest global photography award and subsequent exhibition from the British Journal of Photography (BJP) – the bi-monthly publication that also runs Portrait of Britain, Female in Focus and Portrait of Humanity.

Around the world, governments are repeatedly failing to act on climate change. But photography can serve as a mirror. A warning sound. A vehicle for truth.
Decade of Change award

These awards all serve to find new talent and highlight cutting-edge practices in the industry, but each has a slightly different remit and theme. This year’s Decade of Change award – now in its second year – is focused on the climate crisis, which is arguably the biggest issue of our current time.

Photography transcends language and is universal across the globe. With that in mind, the winning images from Decade of Change have been selected because they feature stories that could or will inspire climate action, ranging from the environmental destruction that's brought on by heavy industry, to the effect of global warming on small communities.

For 2022, there were three categories open for entry to photographers and videographers around the world. The awards given out are for two series of work, a piece of moving image, and 30 standalone shots. We've picked out a few of the stunning and moving winners below, while the rest can be seen here.

(Image credit: Margaret Courtney-Clarke / Decade of Change 2022 Single Image Winner)

If you want to see the winning work up-close, it will be on show as part of the Decade of Change 2022 touring exhibition, which starts as part of Belfast Photo Festival on 3 June 2022.

Lauren is a writer, reviewer, and photographer with ten years of experience in the camera industry. She's the former Managing Editor of Digital Camera World, and previously served as Editor of Digital Photographer magazine, Technique editor for PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, and Deputy Editor of our sister publication, Digital Camera Magazine. An experienced journalist and freelance photographer, Lauren also has bylines at Tech Radar, Space.com, Canon Europe, PCGamesN, T3, Stuff, and British Airways' in-flight magazine. When she's not testing gear for DCW, she's probably in the kitchen testing yet another new curry recipe or walking in the Cotswolds with her Flat-coated Retriever.

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