Climate Change

What is the Award for?

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This Award was introduced in 2021 to mark the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) being held in Glasgow.  COP26 brought parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.  The important role of forests was underlined in the Glasgow Leader’s Declaration on forests and land use supported by more than 140 countries.  Scotland’s forests and woodlands can have an important role in mitigating, and responding to, climate change.  This Award aims to discover the very best examples of such woodlands and how knowledge and experience can be shared to raise awareness.  

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Who can enter the Climate Change Champion Award?

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Entry is open to a woodland or a school or pre-school project anywhere in Scotland and can be made direct for this award, or in combination with another Scotland’s Finest Woods Award category - see: www.sfwa.co.uk.  Could the exemplary work you are doing related to forests and woodlands addressing climate change make you one of this Award’s early winners?

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The entry must demonstrate:

• your specific contribution to carbon sequestration or product/material substitution or decarbonising of operations.
• the extent to which your plans and processes take into account both the current and future climate constraints. This will need to be evidenced by climate smart management changes to ensure resilience (e.g. in species choice, rotation length, forest design, etc) and to evolve processes (e.g. contingency planning, monitoring and learning). 
• The best applications will also demonstrate how they have shared their knowledge, with whom and how effective their engagement was; and
• All entries should summarise what is being done, how, why, the benefits, and why you should be considered a Climate Change Champion.

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In your supporting statement you may consider the following questions (if applicable) to highlight aspects of your entry which are of direct relevance to the judges:

1. What’s unique about the way your project helps mitigate climate change?
2. How are you planning to allow your woodland to adapt to the changing climate, and how do you know if you have been, or will be successful?
3. What climate change knowledge/ information sharing or awareness raising activities have you undertaken, who were these aimed at, and what evidence is there of the success of these activities? 
4. What have you have learned from your experience; has it changed how you manage and/or what actions you take now and in the future?

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Why enter – the prize

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A £1,000 cash prize is available for the winning project in addition to the prestigious Climate Change Champion Trophy (with custody for one year) both of which will be awarded at the discretion of the judges as an exemplar to others.  Other high-quality entries may receive a judges’ commendation.

The winner and any commended entries will receive a certificate and a wooden display plaque recording their achievement.

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Judging 

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The safety of Judges and entrants is paramount.  The judges expect to directly notify shortlisted entries after the closing date and will aim to visit these sites over the summer of 2025.  If you do not hear from the judges by early September unfortunately your entry has not been short-listed.  However, you are encouraged to re-apply in future years!

Our judges' task will be to find and reward the pursuit of excellence and will assess entries against the following criteria:

• Quality of your Climate Change Champion Award entry including any relevant supporting information;
• Clarity and strength of focus on climate change in the overall approach to management or knowledge exchange;
• Demonstration of the implementation of actions to address or respond to current and future climate change, or in raising awareness including through education if a school or pre-school entry.

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Supporting information and images

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You may include relevant supporting information especially images with your entry to help our judges in their decision making.  Examples can include: 

• Materials can be previously published documents such as a summary management plan; maps - species’ distribution / vegetation pre-woodland establishment / soils; publicity leaflet(s).
• Photographs – up to 10 photographs. Please include people and / or scenic views in your images.  
• Videos – up to 3 videos and each one can be up to 60 seconds in length.  Any videos should be a maximum file size of 5MB and should be submitted as a hyper- or downloadable link (e.g. YouTube or WeTransfer).  
• Please confirm that any photos or videos can be used for publicity purposes or clearly state otherwise.

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Publicity

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An objective of Scotland’s Finest Woods and its partners is to showcase entrants as exemplars of good practice so as to encourage other projects in future years.  By entering the competition, entrants are accepting that their woodland may be used as an example of good practice in post-competition publicity, and as may be agreed with the entrant, in other ways.

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In order to maximise the potential for obtaining publicity, entrants are invited to provide publication quality photography as well as videos, if available.  Guidance is given in the section above about submitting images and videos for those who wish to do so.  Please confirm that photos or videos can be used for publicity purposes or clearly state otherwise.

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How to enter

• Head to the Entry Form on the Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards’ website:  www.sfwa.co.uk/enter-awards
• After reading the Guidance, complete the entry form if your project satisfies all the entry criteria.  
• Completed entry form and any supporting information including videos and images to be up to 10MB per entry.  Please submit any videos as a hyper or downloadable link (e.g. YouTube or WeTransfer).
• If eligible, you may enter more than one category (up to 3 categories).
• Statement about AI - please state if AI has been used in the drafting of your entry.
• Please submit your application as early as possible by Sunday 31 May 2026 at the latest.   
• Our judging panel will consider entries and make awards at their discretion.  If your project is shortlisted, expect the judges to arrange a site visit with your nominated contact person over the summer.  Please include second contact details if your main contact will be away for any extended periods over the summer.

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Award Ceremony

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The 2026 prize-giving awards ceremony will be confirmed after the closing date.  It is anticipated that the Awards’ Ceremony will be held during National Tree Week in November 2026, for those invited to attend in person and able to do so.  

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Further Information

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For more information, please see www.sfwa.co.uk or contact:  Jean Nairn, Executive Director, Scotland's Finest Woods Awards



• Email:admin@sfwa.co.uk
• Tel: 07954 847055 (leave message)
• Socials:  Twitter; LinkedIn

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