Launch at Africa Clean Air Forum 2026 | Global showcase for International Day of Clean Air for blue skies
By: Climate and Clean Air Coalition × State of Global Air × Africa Clean Air Network × UNEP
Air pollution is often invisible, but its impacts are deeply personal. In 2023, exposure to air pollution worldwide resulted in an estimated 7.9 million deaths and millions of healthy years of life lost. It affects how we breathe, how we live, how we feel, our ability to earn a living, and how we imagine the future.
Every Breath Has a Story is a global call for powerful photographs and personal reflections that reveal the human reality of air pollution: its sources, its consequences, and the hope found in action and cleaner air solutions.
We are especially proud to launch the first chapter of this campaign at the Africa Clean Air Forum 2026, spotlighting stories and images from across Africa. Selected works will also be featured globally for the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies on 7 September 2026, together with the State of Global Air.
Whether you are a professional photographer, student, activist, journalist, or someone who captured a meaningful moment on your phone, we want to see the world through your eyes.
We welcome submissions that capture one or more of the following:
Submissions are welcome from amateur and professional photographers.
Please note that we reserve the right to select the photos, and not all submissions may be selected. Authors will receive credit for their photos.
Submissions are due on Friday, June 26th, 2026.
How to Submit
Submit via https://forms.gle/MS9FDbzjYfQb2V956
For any queries, please email: contactsoga@healtheffects.org
By submitting an entry to Every Breath Has a Story, participants agree to the following terms and conditions:
Participants confirm that they are the creator and copyright owner of the submitted image(s), or have full authority to submit them. Entries must be original works and must not infringe the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other rights of any third party.
If any recognisable person appears in a submitted image, the participant confirms that appropriate consent has been obtained for the image to be submitted and used for campaign purposes. Where a minor is featured, consent must be obtained from a parent or legal guardian.
Participants retain copyright of their images. By submitting an entry, participants grant Climate and Clean Air Coalition, State of Global Air, and Africa Clean Air Network a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use selected images for non-commercial purposes related to clean air awareness, including:
Organisers will credit photographers whenever their images are used.
Submission of an entry does not guarantee selection, publication, exhibition, or compensation. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, no payment will be provided for the use of submitted images.
Organisers may crop, resize, adjust formatting, or translate captions for publication purposes, while preserving the integrity of the original image.
Organisers reserve the right to reject, remove, or disqualify any submission that is unlawful, misleading, plagiarised, defamatory, discriminatory, exploitative, unsafe, offensive, or unrelated to the campaign theme.
Submitted images must be genuine photographs. AI-generated images or materially altered synthetic images are not eligible.
Personal information provided through the submission process will be used only for the administration of the photo call, communication with participants, attribution, and related campaign activities, in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
Organisers are not responsible for incomplete, lost, late, corrupted, or technically damaged submissions, nor for unauthorised third-party use of images once publicly shared.
All selection and curatorial decisions made by the organisers are final.
Submission of an entry constitutes full acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
Images should respect the dignity, safety, and privacy of all individuals and communities represented.
About the organizers
Climate and Clean Air Coalition
The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) is a voluntary partnership of over 200 governments, intergovernmental organisations, businesses, scientific institutions and civil society organisations committed to protecting the climate and improving air quality through actions to reduce the super pollutants which are short-lived in the atmosphere: methane, black carbon, tropospheric ozone and HFCs, through a practical, measures-based approach. The Coalition’s work is grounded in robust science and analysis and supported by a dedicated Trust Fund, which together have fostered high-level political commitment, in-country implementation, and tools that strengthen the case for action and accelerate action and results.
The Coalition’s drives concerted global efforts to implement known practices and existing technologies that can achieve global reductions of at least 40% of methane by 2030 compared to 2010; up to 70% of black carbon by 2030 relative to 2010; and 99.5% of HFCs by 2050 compared to 2010.
State of Global Air
The State of Global Air is a research and outreach initiative to provide reliable, meaningful information about air quality around the world. A collaboration of the Health Effects Institute and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease project, the program gives citizens, journalists, policymakers, and scientists access to high-quality, objective information about air pollution and its health impacts. All data and reports are free and available to the public.
Réseau africain pour l'air pur
The Africa Clean Air Network (AfriCAN) is an Africa-based collaboration platform bringing together partners across borders, disciplines and sectors; it was configured on the philosophy of strengthening Africa-led efforts towards clean air action. Launched in 2023, the network is building a shared framework to connect people, data, and solutions.
UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
