About

The aim of the annual “Climate Change Communication Prize” in the Czech Republic is to highlight the importance of information and knowledge about climate change for awareness raising, discussion and solutions to the major issue of the time.

So far, climate change is faster than people’s ability to respond adequately. The climate crisis is evolving. Solutions exist, but they need to be implemented without delay. The challenges posed by the crisis are complex and require cooperation across sectors, disciplines, social groups and countries.

Sociological surveys (Eurobarometer, CVVM) show that the people in Czechia are interested in the issue of climate change, but still lag behind the European average in understanding of the urgency. There is still little knowledge about the topic, even among students. In fact, not much is being taught about climate change in schools, although changes in the education system are underway.

The Climate Change Communication Prize aims to contribute to the education and cultivation of reliable, factual and current knowledge-based debate that is key to effectively address one of the most pressing global challenge.

The Prize also aims to bridge some differences of opinion and to promote a culture of critical debate between different disciplines, which would help to eliminate some of the divisions over the complex issue.

Estalished in 2019 by the United Nations Information Centre Prague, the Prize has been organised jointly by the UN office in Czechia and the Learned Society of the Czech Republic.

Nomination and selection

The laureate is selected by the Nomination Committee composed of representatives from major institutions dealing with climate change. Membership in the committee is honorary and personal.

Nomination Committee 2022

  1. Bázlerová Johana, influencer (Jsem v obraze)
  2. Bělíčková Klára, spokesperson F4F
  3. Březovská Romana, AMO 
  4. Dlouhá Jana, CU Environment Centre
  5. Chytrý Milan, Department of Botany and Zoology
    Faculty of Science, MU
  6. Kárníková Anna, Hnutí DUHA – Friends of the Earth Czech Republic
  7. Mach Ondřej Martin, Ekolist 
  8. Marek Michal V., Global Change Research Institute, CAS (CzechGlobe)
  9. Mareš Jan, Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic
  10. Martínková Jitka, Klimakoalice 
  11. Míková Taťána, Czech Television
  12. Moldan Bedřich, CU Environment Centre, Laureate of the 1st Lifetime Achievement Prize 
  13. Müllerová Hana, Institute of State and Law, CAS
  14. Pixová Michaela, UNYP
  15. Přibyla Ondráš, Fakta o klimatu, 2nd Laureate of the Prize
  16. Pyšek Petr, Institute of Botany CAS, Faculty of Science, CU (did not attend last year for family reasons)
  17. Sedláček Štěpán, Czech Radio
  18. Skalická Petra, Varianty, People in Need
  19. Sutlovičová Klára, European Climate Foundation 
  20. Tolasz Radim, CHMI, IPCC, 1st Laureate of the Prize
  21. Trnka Miroslav, CzechGlobe, Mendel univerzity, 3rd Laureate of the Prize
  22. Zábrž David, Chairman of Asociace startupů, organizer of Udržitelná konference
  23. Zamouřil Jakub, Czechsight 

Honorary Co-Chairs (without the right to nominate and select the Laureate):
Michal Broža, UN Information Centre Prague
Pavel Jungwirth, Learned Society, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry CAS

 

Nomination Committee 2021

Březovská Romana, AMO
Čadek Ondřej, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, CU
Daniš Petr, Tereza Educational Centre
Dlouhá Jana, CU Environment Centre
Doubravský Petr, Fridays for Future
Gaillyová Yvonna, Veronica Ecological Institute, CO2 Liga
Chytrý Milan, Department of Botany and Zoology
Faculty of Science, MU
Kvasničková Barbora, student, activist
Marek Michal V., Global Change Research Institute, CAS (CzechGlobe)
Martínková Jitka, Klimakoalice
Mašková Martina, Czech Radio
Míková Taťána, Czech Television
Moldan Bedřich, CU Environment Centre
Müllerová Hana, Institute of State and Law, CAS
Nerudová Danuše, rector of MU
Přibyla Ondráš, Fakta o klimatu, 2nd Laureate of the Prize
Sedláček Štěpán, Czech Radio
Sklenička Petr, rector of the Czech University of Life Sciences
Sutlovičová Klára, European Climate Foundation
Šrám Radim, Commission for the Environment, CAS
Tolasz Radim, CHMI, IPCC, 1st Laureate of the Prize
Zamouřil Jakub, Czechsight
Zámyslický Pavel, Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic

Honorary Co-Chairs (without the right to nominate and select the Laureate):
Michal Broža, UN Information Centre Prague
Pavel Jungwirth, Learned Society, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry CAS

 

Nomination Committee 2020:

Čadek Ondřej, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University
Dlouhý Jiří, Environment Centre, Charles University
Derynková Michaela, Czech Social Awards
Gailly Yvonna, Ecological Institute Veronica
Havránek Miroslav, CENIA, Czech Environmental Information Agency
Jungwirth Tomáš, Centre for Transport and Energy, AMO
Kalaš Petr, Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic
Kárníková Anna, Hnutí DUHA – Friends of the Earth Czech Republic
Kvasničková Barbora, student, activist
Marčík František, Save food
Marek Michal V., Global Change Research Institute, CAS (CzechGlobe)
Mašková Martina, Czech Radio
Míková Taťána, Czech Television
Müllerová Hana, Institute of State and Law, CAS
Nerudová Danuše, Mendel University in Brno
Nováčková Jitka, influencer
Pixová Michaela, Climate Coalition
Pyšek Petr, Institute of Botany CAS, Faculty of Science, Charles University
Svobodová Hana, TEREZA Educational Center (GLOBE program)
Smolková Lucie, student, activist
Sutlovičová Klára, European Climate Foundation
Šabacká Marie, Centre for Polar Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice
Tolasz Radim, CHMI, IPCC, first winner of the Prize
Zamouřil Jakub, Czechsight

Honorary Co-Chairs (without the right to nominate and select the Laureate):

Michal Broža, UN Information Centre Prague
Pavel Jungwirth, Learned Society, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry CAS

Selection criteria:

  • The Prize is aimed at experts, academics, professionals in fields that directly and indirectly deal with climate change. It is not a journalistic award (it is not ruled out that it will be extended to media professionals in the future).
  • Language: communication in Czech environment in Czech or Slovak.
  • Media outputs.
  • Activity on social networks. Not only on one’s own profile(s), but also the ability to enter into discussions and explain, refute myths and clarity to discussions through factual arguments.
  • Speeches in public forums: conferences, seminars, television / radio discussions, social gatherings.
  • Active participation in professional or interest organizations dealing with issues related to global climate change.
  • Ability to engage in dialogue on climate change and its context with the young generation.

Tasks of the Nomination Committee:

  • Selection of the Laureate.
  • Members of the committee will adhere to principles of impartiality, transparency, support the principle of excellence and strive for the widest possible representation of disciplines represented by the Nominees.
  • In their decision-making, they will respect values ​​of diversity and equality and will take into account objectives of climate action at European and global levels.
  • Members of the Committee will ensure compliance with the “Objectives and Principles” of the Prize and will support their development in the future.
  • Membership in the committee is honorary and personal, lasts one year and can be renewed. Prize winners will automatically become members of the committee.
  • Composition of the committee must be representative and take into account representation of all major societal actors (academia / science, education, public administration, non-profit sector, private sector, media).

Laureates

2021

Prof. Mgr. Ing. Miroslav Trnka, Ph.D.

senior researcher at the Global Change Research Institute CAS (CzechGlobe), professor at the Institute of Agrosystems and Bioclimatology, Mendel University, Brno

As a leading Czech scientist, he is researching meteorological and agricultural drought and other impacts of climate change. He is the leader of the teams running the intersucho.cz, klimatickazmena.cz, firerisk.cz and most recently agrorisk.cz portals, which are updated on a daily basis, provide free valuable information on climate change to the general public and serve as early warning systems for farmers and other groups of the Czech population.

Dr. Trnka is the author of a number of studies in prestigious international journals such as Nature Climate Change and International Journal of Climatology. He has long been involved in communicating bioclimatology and climate change issues in the media and public forums. His insightful commentaries enable readers and listeners to understand that global change affects all of us.

Prof. RNDr. Bedřich Moldan, CSc., dr.h.c.

founder and deputy director of the Environment Centre, Charles University, geochemist, ecologist, publicist, politician

Professor Bedřich Moldan was awarded the Honorary Climate Change Communication Prize for his lifelong efforts to improve the quality of the environment, nature and human relationships with nature and with each other. In addition, for his long-standing efforts to highlight climate change issues in the fields of research and expertise, journalism, politics – at all levels of politics in the Czech Republic and internationally – and for his climate change-related activities in the civic and educational fields.

 

2020

Mgr. Ondráš Přibyla

theoretical physicist, lecturer, mediator and consultant
founder and leader of “Fakta o klimatu” (The Climate Facts) project

Ondráš Přibyla and the team of “Fakta o klimatu” (The Facts on Climate)[1] project present scientific knowledge about climate change in a comprehensible and clear way. They collect data from professional and scientific institutions (IPCC, CHMI, NASA, Eurostat, WMO) and process attractive visual outputs: graphs, tables, maps and other overviews explaining key phenomena. Infographics can be freely used in the education system, the media, civil society organizations, companies or in political work. In this way, they make a significant contribution to education and cultivation of a reliable, factual and current knowledge-based debate on climate change.

[1]  Ondráš Přibyla, Tomáš Protivínský, Martin Ukrop, Jan Krčál, Kristýna Zákopčanová, Oldřich Sklenář, Kateřina Kolouchová, Matěj Grabovský, Martin Křivánek, Ondřej Pechník, Marek Lahoda, Eliška Vlčková.

 

2019

RNDr. Radim Tolasz, Ph.D.

climatologist, Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Representative of the Czech Republic in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), expert of the World Meteorological Organization

Dr. Radim Tolasz has long strived to popularize climate change in terms of scientific knowledge, especially climatology and meteorology. He writes a regular blog, appears in the media and in public forums, communicates on social networks about the causes and possible effects of climate change, explains complex climate phenomena including activities of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in simple language. He publicly communicates his views on possible adaptation and emission reduction solutions. As the representative of the Czech Republic in the IPCC, he has played an important role in presenting the Reports of this international scientific panel to the Czech public since 2014. Through his activities in the field of public awareness, dr. Tolasz is an example of a scientist who understands the correlation between science, politics and public life.