EOY Impact Report 2024
Open Planet
Introduction
Storytelling has never been more important than in our collective race to restore our world and avert the worst impacts of the climate and nature crisis.
One year since the launch of Open Planet, we’ve seen the game-changing impact that is possible when creatives, communicators and changemakers are given the visual tools they need to eectively tell their stories.
Our award-winning, open-source library is fast-becoming a cornerstone of the climate and nature community globally, delivering impact in three critical areas:
Capturing and sharing trusted, world-class visual content, with 12,000 clips freely available for education and impact use.
Supporting a growing community of over 1,300 storytellers across 107 countries, who are sharing an incredible diversity of stories to millions worldwide.
Delivering transformative storytelling in partnership with a global network of individuals and organisations commied to creating a more sustainable future.
And we’re only at the beginning of what Open Planet can achieve.
Read on to find out more about our impact in 2024 - and our plans to scale in 2025.
Our year in numbers
Content
Our award-winning library and communications channels
70+
20m+
8
8,700+
12,000 World-class, scientifically verified clips published in our library
Contributing filmmakers and production companies globally, including the UK, USA, India, Canada, Kenya and South Africa
People reached through our social media channels
Curated collections, including collaborations with Wellcome, the UN Development Programme, and the University of Exeter
Clips available for commercial licensing through our library partners, All3Media Clip Sales
Community & Collaborators
Our global partnerships and storytelling network
Impact milestones
Jan - Apr
Our content and spokespeople feature across high-profile events at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
We present Open Planet to 250+ systems change leaders at the Villars Institute Summit
Content milestone as our library reaches 5,000 clips
Our pilot storytelling project with Wellcome reaches 10 million people with stories of climate and health in Kenya
Open Planet wins the MIP TV SDG Innovation Award in association with the UN
We team up with Protect Our Future (1851 Trust) to inspire young people globally to tell climate stories
We deliver a keynote address with bespoke film content at the Planetary Health Summit Malaysia
May - Aug
We collaborate with The Earthshot Prize on a special takeover of London’s iconic Piccadilly Lights
Open Planet joins the UN SDG Media Compact to accelerate action on the Sustainable Development Goals
Our new website launches with 10,000+ clips and storytelling resources
We partner on the launch of Water Week as part of the UN Water Action Decade
We host panels and workshops with 300+ young people at the Villars Institute Symposium
Our second storytelling project with Wellcome gets underway with new filming in South Africa
We introduce 250+ educators and policymakers to Open Planet at the Schools2030 Global Forum
Sept - Dec
Our Global Advisory Board launches with six founding members across planetary science and storytelling
We showcase our impact at the UN General Assembly alongside fellow SDG Compact members
Our content and spokespeople feature prominently throughout New York Climate Week
Our US Board forms and drives progress towards achieving 501c(3) status
We announce our upcoming biodiversity feature film and impact campaign at the UN biodiversity conference
Our films and content feature in campaign communications and events at the UN’s COP29 climate summit
We collaborate with UNDP on bespoke content to drive storytelling around the UN Convention to Combat Desertification
Testimonials
“Our era is defined by a battle of narratives, compounded by misinformation and AI. Open Planet is a great resource that provides storytelling tools to help build agency and ignite our imagination on what a more climate-just world could look like and our active role in making this a reality.”
Emily Wanja, Director of African Programs at Doc Society
“In a turbulent world facing dangerous planetary challenges, geopolitical tensions and widespread polarisation, where misand disinformation is rife, never has the power to tell compelling, factual stories been more important. I am delighted to be a part of Open Planet, where such rich resources can be made available to the millions of storytellers around the world that will be able to use powerful images to move humanity in the right direction.”
Professor Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, Executive Director at the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health
“I've found not just the Open Planet resource, but the team behind it, an enormous support to the work we're doing. Having access to so much rare, high quality footage of the natural world is a critical resource for conservation organisations with limited commission budgets and a range of advocacy goals. Open Planet is a real gamechanger for the non-profit world and helps further the impacts of so many conservation goals at a critical time for our sector and the planet.”
Hannah Kaplan, Director of Video and Digital Content at Wildlife Conservation Society
Testimonials
"Open collaboration is so important, and by Open Planet collating and providing footage it means we can tell better stories as can anyone in the world. Strong visuals make or break content. A further positive is that sharing footage reduces the need for original capture, reducing impact through production. Win-win."
Théo Grainzevelles, Head of Production at Duna Films
“Open Planet is changing the game in the communications industry. They are helping us to tell the stories that are so often left behind. From scientific organisations to charities, these are the stories that are ultimately going to determine our connection and understanding of the natural world.”
Emma Askew, Founder and Director at Earth Minutes
“Authentic storytelling truly has the power to bring complex issues to life in ways that resonate deeply with diverse audiences. Thanks to Open Planet’s library of rich content, storytellers are equipped like never before to create impactful films which will inspire action and drive meaningful change.”
Carina Strydom, Communications & Partnerships Director, Crtve Development
Content
Our award-winning library, content collections and global network of contributors.
Launching our new website
In July 2024, we launched our new website, designed to provide a more inspiring, accessible and intuitive experience for the growing community of diverse storytellers using our library.
New and enhanced features include:
Dedicated page to showcase examples of how content from our library is being used to deliver impact.
Browse and search functionality improved, with tailored experience depending on user’s bandwidth.
Streamlined checkout process to enable faster downloads.
Bespoke pages to showcase curated collections of content and stories
Click the image above to visit our website
Click the video above to watch our launch film
Published content
In 2024, we exponentially grew the volume and diversity our library to cover a wide range of issues and solutions linked to climate, nature and humanity. It now features around 12,000 clips, with new content landing each week. Key themes captured in 2024 include:
Extreme weather events - drought, wildfire, tornados, flooding
Ocean and marine life - the wonder, key threats and conservation solutions
Climate and nature solutions - restoration, community action and innovation
Data visualisations - deforestation, urbanisation and global climate stories
Wildlife and natural habitats
Cities - urban development, adaptation and community resilience
Exclusive to Open Planet
Working with our established global network of filmmakers, we have filmed and commissioned a series of new and exclusive content - capturing relevant, compelling stories and events as they unfold, along with firsthand insight from those on the frontline of change. This includes:
Elephants during extreme drought in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe — Filmed by Reel Life Productions
Climate, health and urban resilience in Durban, South Africa — Filmed by Let It Rain Films, supported by Wellcome
Plastic pollution and marine life in Patagonia, Argentina — Filmed by Richard Szkiler of The View South
Interviews with scientists, experts and Indigenous Peoples — Filmed by Open Planet Studios and Let It Rain Films
Curated content collections
This year, we launched five bespoke content collections to inspire creative storytelling at crucial moments for impact. Each collection brings together compelling stories and insights on globally important themes, with expertly curated footage, interviews and data visualisations:
Transforming our land for the future — Curated with the UN Development Programme
Restoring Global Biodiversity
Building Healthier Cities in South Africa — Supported by Wellcome
Global Tipping Points — Curated with the University of Exeter
Into the Brazilian Amazon
Exclusive content partnerships
Building on our unique partnerships with world-leading media companies and broadcasters, this year we signed landmark agreements to unlock incredible archive footage from major productions - unleashing thousands of cinematic clips on Open Planet for educational and impact use:
Studio Silverback – The Earthshot Prize
Studio Lambert – Race Across the World
Netflix – Our Planet
Footage of pioneering solution projects by The Earthshot Prize finalists across the five Earthshot categories provides over 850 inspiring clips.
Footage filmed for the award-winning ‘Race Across the World’ TV series, including compelling visuals of cities and landscapes globally.
Footage from the Our Planet ‘halo’ project, which supported the award-winning documentary series, covering a wide range of environmental issues and solutions.
Contributors to our library
We are proud to support a growing, global network of over 70 official content partners contributing world-class footage to our library, including (selection):
Earth Minutes
JHPVisuals
Bullhorn Pictures
MavDrone
Michael Downey
Moses Thuranira
Myles Storey
Nanang Sujana
Natalie Clements
Natural History Studios Australia
Nature Candid Productions LLP
Nature inFocus
Nick Werber
Nimit Nigam
Passion Planet
Rare Tales - Vinay Datla
Raychel Sanner
Riverbank Studios
RoundGlass Sustain
Sandro Gromen-Hayes
Santiago Sainz-Trápaga
Scarlet View Media
Sean Delahay
Shaun Swingler
Silverback Films
Stella Di
Summit Fever Media
Switchback Entertainment
Symeon Izmailov
Teresa Carante
The View South
Travel Penguin
Untamed Planet
Varun Alagar
Wes Overvold
Wild Woods Media
Will Foster-Grundy
Yoho Media
Aishwarya Sridhar
Anuj Nagori
Aquinox Media
Atharva Raut
Austin Novy
Bonanza Films
Chad Shagren
Corey Robinson
Cornwall Climate Care
Cwmni Da
Dream Wild Films
DroneSurf
EarthTime
Guto Thomas
Hardik Rathod
Hydro Motion Media
In Old News LLC
Jeerson Kahinju
João Paulo Krajewski
Joshua Turner
JustDiggit Foundation
Kanishk Gupta
Kendrone
Kyle Roepke
Leakey Studios
Leo Francis Photography
Louder Than 11
Lyfted Media Group
Manish Manick
Mark Sharman Cinematograph
Matko Pictures
Ma Brierley Wildlife Productio
Popular searches
Community & Collaborators
Our partners, users of our library, and how we’re delivering impact together.
Our partners and collaborators
Collaboration is at the heart of our mission.
In 2024, we were proud to collaborate with a global network of partners, funders, content creators and changemakers to drive transformative storytelling about our changing planet. From collaborating on world-class content for global events, to co-creating bespoke storytelling campaigns, to delivering standout educational materials to communicate the latest science.
As we look to scale our collective impact in this decisive decade, we are commied to partnering with individuals and organisations who share our vision and are invested in creating a more sustainable future for our planet.
Wellcome partnership
In partnership with the Wellcome Trust, we’re driving new storytelling on the impacts of climate change on human health and potential solutions.
Together we’re capturing and sharing compelling stories of hope and resilience, producing a suite of new creative assets on Open Planet for storytellers and content partners to influence policy and action.
In spring 2024, we concluded our successful pilot project in Kenya, which reached over 10 million people with content produced using the curated collection on Open Planet.
We are excited to be collaborating on our second partnership project, focused in South Africa - watch this space for impact updates in 2025!
"Open Planet provides the visual resources vital for communicating compelling climate and health stories, amplifying the lived experience of the communities most affected and driving conversation on social media and at global events. We are looking forward to seeing the platform grow so more important stories can be told.”
Alan Dangour, Director of Climate and Health at Wellcome
Key Wellcome partnership metrics
10m+ Reached on social media through content creators, NGOs and partners.
5 Interviews filmed with global health experts and local community leaders.
8,000+ Decision-makers and leaders engaged at major global multi-lateral events.
400+ High-quality clips made available on Open Planet.
4,000+ Kenyan community leaders, educators, citizens and youth mobilised through local screenings.
#1 Trend on X in Kenya for the #KiberaUnmuted content creator film series
Read about our project in Kenya
Storytellers using our library
Over 1,300 filmmakers, educators, students, activists, scientists, NGOs and environmental organisations across 107 countries globally are already using Open Planet as a valuable content resource. These include (selection):
90 North Foundation
Goals House
Arizona State University
ICLEI Africa
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
John Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Make My Money Matter
Blue Marine Foundation
Museum for the UN
Blue Nature Alliance
Natural History Museum
CITES
ONE
Conservation International
Planetary Guardians
Crtve Development
PlucTV
Docubox
Project Everyone
Duna Films
RE:TV
Earth Minutes
Re:wild
Earth4All
Earthrise
SeaLegacy
Stockholm Environment Institute
Environmental Justice Foundation
The Climate Group
Global Rewilding Alliance
The Earthshot Prize
(Additional organisations and repeated entries in original source have been preserved in the content above.)
Content created using our library
We are continually inspired and moved by the incredible breadth, depth and innovation of storytelling created using our library, and the highly influential and creative spaces our content is appearing in. The examples below provide a snapshot of use, with more to explore here.
Sounds Right
Our footage featured in campaign content produced by Earthrise Studio to launch NATURE as an official artist on Spotify and other streaming platforms, achieving >50 million streams across platforms.
Planetary Guardians
Our footage brought to life stories of hope from Xiye Bastida, Farwiza Farhan, Dr. Jane Goodall and President Juan Manuel Santos as part of the first-ever Planetary Health Check during New York Climate Week.
Waxxes Animation
Kenyan creatives used spoken word, animation and Open Planet footage to present the future of Kibera, with this short film screened to local leaders, citizens and youth to drive conversation and action on climate and health.
The Earthshot Prize
Captivating footage from our library featured in an inspiring showcase of solutions for our planet, which took over the iconic Piccadilly Lights during London Climate Action Week 2024.
The University of Exeter
Our footage and interviews helped land the Global Tipping Points Report across digital channels, media and influential events including at the UN’s COP28 climate summit and the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.
UN Development Programme (UNDP)
This curtain-raiser film for the COP16 biodiversity conference was created using entirely footage from our library to show what’s at stake for biodiversity and call for global action.
Protect Our Future (1851 Trust)
Our library and a short film fronted by world athletes supported a global programme of youth workshops designed to empower and equip young people to tell impactful climate stories.
ONE
Featuring footage and interviews filmed exclusively for Open Planet, this film reached >4 million people across digital channels with powerful stories of how climate change is shaping the community of Kibera in Kenya.
RE:TV
Produced for a platform founded by His Majesty King Charles III, our footage features in this short film on the future of energy-efficient buildings, enhanced by interviews, data and creative visual effects.
Together For The Ocean
Ocean footage from our library featured alongside climate activist Brianna Fruean in a short film to launch a global campaign #ForTheOcean – accelerating action towards protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.
The Climate Group
Created for the opening ceremony of New York Climate Week 2024, this film uses footage from Open Planet to help showcase why urgent action is needed from world leaders to tackle the planetary crisis.
Wildlife Conservation Society
Our cinematic tiger footage featured in this film to announce increasing wild tiger populations, shared across social and digital channels ahead of the Bhutan Tiger Summit 2024.
Our global events presence
Open Planet content and spokespeople featured prominently at the heart of major global events and decision-making forums in 2024, helping to drive meaningful engagement and conversation on the power of storytelling to aect change. Highlights include:
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting — Davos, Switzerland
Open Planet had a significant presence through events and content collaborations, including hosting a panel discussion in the Davos Climate Hub focused on ‘Revolutionising Climate Reporting’. A film on planetary health, produced by Open Planet Studios, also featured across several high-profile events and prominent screens.
Villars Institute Summit — Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland
Members of the Open Planet Board joined 250+ global leaders and innovators in systems change for this prestigious annual summit. Our team led a panel discussion and plenary session on the power of storytelling.
Planetary Health Summit — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Powerful content created using Open Planet featured on screen as our Director and Board Chair, Colin Butfield, delivered the keynote presentation alongside Prof. Dr. Jemilah Mahmood. The event was attended by over 1,000 leaders including government ministers, royals, UN delegates, scientists, policymakers, educators, young leaders, and concerned planetary citizens.
UN Water Week Launch — London, United Kingdom
We were proud partners on the inaugural Water Week event: a campaign for young people delivered as part of the UN’s Water Action Decade. Our Executive Director of Operations, Emily Renshaw-Smith, was one of the keynote speakers at the launch reception, hosted by Wastebusters. Campaign communications were supported by a bespoke Water Week content collection on Open Planet.
Schools2030 Global Forum — Bishkek, Kyrgz Republic
We introduced Open Planet to 250+ teachers, policymakers and education professionals at the Schools2030 Global Forum, hosted in partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation.
Villars Institute Symposium — Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland
Members of the Open Planet team joined global experts, educators and young changemakers to share ideas and innovations for planetary health. We hosted a session on the power of film to inspire climate action.
Event highlights
UN General Assembly (UNGA) — New York, United States
New York Climate Week (NYCW) — New York, United States
UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) — Cali, Colombia
We were honoured to join fellow members of the UN SDG Media Compact for a panel event at UNGA, focused on the role of media and creativity in driving action on the Sustainable Development Goals. Through inspiring content and discussion, we shared the origin story of Open Planet and our collaborative efforts to disrupt discourse and shape new narratives on the planetary crisis.
Our content and spokespeople took centre stage throughout NYCW, including at high-profile events hosted by The Climate Group, Project Everyone, Ethic, Planetary Guardians, Swissnex and many others. We also teamed up with Earth Minutes, the University of Exeter and Global Optimism to challenge 50 young minds to co-create content about positive tipping points and the possibility of our future.
We joined thought-leaders and changemakers for an exclusive dinner hosted by The Villars Institute and Project Everyone to explore the vital role of film, arts and culture in shaping new narratives and inspiring action for nature. The event showcased incredible projects and partnerships helping to catalyse change, where we announced our upcoming biodiversity feature film and impact campaign — launching in 2025.
Company
Our people, organisational news and strategic priorities for 2025.
Meet our Global Advisory Board
In September, we announced the first six members of our Global Advisory Board, bringing together thought leaders and pioneers in planetary health, science, education, film and storytelling. The advisory board will play a key role in guiding our strategic priorities to help scale our impact.
Amanda Ellis
Marie-Claire Graf
Brad Irwin MBE
Prof. Tim Lenton
Prof. Dr. Jemilah Mahmood
Emily Wanja
Global Partnerships Lead at Arizona State University
Climate justice activist and cofounder of the Youth Negotiators Academy
Senior Advisor on Climate and Nature at Project Everyone
Director of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter and Chair in Climate Change and Earth System Science
Professor and Executive Director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health
Director of African Programs at Doc Society
Our commitment to the SDGs
Central to our mission is our dedication to advancing the global agenda for sustainable development and environmental stewardship. Our open-source library and strategic partnerships are focused on scaling-up communications linked to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2024, our commitment to the SDGs was recognised in two standout achievements:
Joining the UN SDG Media Compact
In June 2024, Open Planet became a member of the UN SDG Media Compact, joining a prestigious network of over 400 organisations leveraging media and communication platforms to promote awareness and mobilise action towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
Read more
Winning the MIPTV SDG Innovation Award
Open Planet was the proud recipient of the 2024 MIPTV SDG Innovation Award, given in recognition of our visionary role in distributing credible, compelling resources and unlocking barriers for content creators and storytellers to beer explain and respond to our planet’s challenges.
2025: Scaling our impact
Following a year of transformational growth, we’ve proven the power of Open Planet.
Now we want to take it to scale.
Our strategic priorities for growing our impact in 2025 include:
Significantly growing the volume and diversity of content in our library, with new resources and developments to support a wider range of storytelling across all types of audiences and regions.
Delivering creative content collaborations that inspire planetary storytelling in new and unexpected ways, growing our storytelling community and the reach of content created using our library.
Driving mass storytelling moments using content secured from two major feature films produced by Open Planet Studios, including David Aenborough: Ocean and a new biodiversity feature for COP30 in Belém.
Securing new strategic partnerships and funding to accelerate our collective impact towards achieving a sustainable future for our planet.
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