A young Ayrshire filmmaker is gearing up to rub shoulders with world leaders at the COP26 summit.
Scarlett Alexander, 16, from Ayr, has been chosen as one of 12 young filmmakers from around Scotland to take part.
It’s a chance for Scarlett to put the likes of United States President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the spotlight.
The COP26 summit, which stands for 'Conference of the Parties', has been going for nearly three decades and will be held in Glasgow from November 1 to November 12.
More than 190 world leaders will arrive for 12 days of talks about global environmental issues, such as climate change.
For Scarlett, she will be part of a filmmaking team whose task it is to bring the voice of young Scotland to the event – via COP TV.
It's a magazine show which will be aired for one hour over five nights during the last week of COP26.
Scarlett said: “I am into lots of different fashion and music and I’ve been taking an interest lately not just in media and climate, but how media can be more climate and carbon conscious.
“I’m totally fascinated by the technology of broadcasting and I hope to get a real chance through COP TV to gain experience in camera work and editing.
“I’m currently making my own personal film for COP TV about waterways near my home town.”
Scarlett and her team are being trained to film, direct, present and produce content which will be broadcast daily to a global audience as ‘COP TV.'
Scottish Youth Film Foundation (SYFF) co-founder Scott Mackay – who has been working with the young people this summer – said of the global project: “COP TV is a fantastic opportunity for young people to influence the climate change conversation on a global stage – to bring the voice of young Scotland to the world and the world to the young people of Scotland.
“Working with the team, I am so impressed with the knowledge, passion and enthusiasm they bring to the film-making process.
“They are a credit to Scotland and will be fantastic young ambassadors both to the delegates and climate change influencers we interview and to the global audience watching our daily broadcasts.”
Dr Sam Gardner, head of climate change and sustainability at ScottishPower, said: “I’m delighted to meet the team from COP TV and I look forward to seeing the stories and news they capture.”
The team will be supported by Christie Paterson, an offshore environmental manager with ScottishPower’s parent company Iberdrola.
She said: “COP TV is a fantastic initiative.”
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