Bangkok, 10 September 2015 – Fourteen-year-old Panchachon Phommueang from Thailand has won the Asia Pacific prize of the annual International Children’s Painting Competition organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for her evocative depiction of how renewable energy can be harnessed for the well-being of people on the planet.
Phommueang’s painting, on the competition theme, “We have the power!” was among 60,345 entries received this year from 16 countries. It was selected for its simple and telling portrayal of the crucial role of energy in our daily lives amid increasing competition for natural resources.
“We are using a lot of energy in our daily life, and soon, this energy will not be enough to meet growing demand. I have studied about renewable energy and want to bring it to the world’s attention through my painting by showing the many different kinds renewable energy are available such as wind energy, solar energy, biomass, and wave power. The world is looking for energy security and sustainability and renewable energy is very important for our future” she said.
“The science tells us that soon after the middle of this Century we need to have completely decarbonized our economies in order to keep global warming below two degrees. An energy transformation is needed and, if you look at investments in renewables, is already underway in Asia. Phommueang’s painting beautifully portrays this energy transformation with renewable energy powering the energy needs of people” said Kaveh Zahedi, Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific of UNEP.
Phommueang’s entry will go on to compete with winning entries from other regions of the world – West Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and North America – later this year. The theme of this year’s competition supports the UN decade of Sustainable Energy for All and was open to inspire children between the age of 9 and 14 all over the world. The Asia-Pacific winner will receive a US$1000 prize.
The International Children’s Painting Competition is organized every year by UNEP and the Foundation for Global Peace and Environment. It has been held since 1991 and received more than 3 million entries from children in over 100 countries. The goal of the competition is to inspire people all over the world to see environmental issues through the eyes of children and increase environmental awareness and action among children.
For More Information: Satwant Kaur, Regional Information Officer, UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Email: satwant.kaur@unep.org, Tel: 
+662 2882127, Mobile: +66817001376.
