The global United Nations campaign "UNite to Combat Climate Change" will kick off in October with an auction and exhibit of children's art in New York.
The Paint for the Planet event will feature a selection of stand-out entries from UNEP's International Children's Painting Competitions.
Showcasing children's fears and hopes for the planet, the paintings are a powerful plea from children for leadership on climate change before it is too late.
The original artwork has been chosen from a collection of nearly 200,000 paintings which have never been displayed before. The exhibit opens at UN Headquarters in New York on 23 October.
On 25 October, a selection of the paintings will be auctioned at the Harvard Club of New York City to raise emergency funds for children affected by climate-related disasters, such as the recent storms and hurricanes in the Caribbean.
The exhibit is open to all, and the art will also be sold online to enable people around the world to participate. Several of the young prize-winning artists will be flown to New York to share their message for the planet with decision makers, corporate leaders and the media.
Paint for the Planet will launch the "UNite to Combat Climate Change" campaign to support the call for a definitive agreement at the climate change talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009. After New York, the exhibit will travel to various climate-related events and meetings around the world, culminating in Copenhagen.
The curatorial partner for Paint for the Planet is the Natural World Museum (NWM), which presents art through innovative programs to inspire and engage the public in environmental awareness and action.
Paint for the Planet is made possible through the generous support of Bayer, Nikon and the Foundation for Global Peace and Environment, which have been UNEP's key partners for the International Children's Painting Competition and other children and youth initiatives for many years.