“Love Planet.photo”: Veolia rewards the best photos taken by its employees

More than 15,000 photos were posted by people around the world on the "Love Planet.photo" platform set up by Paris Match for the COP 21. Veolia employees, mobilised through an internal competition, greatly contributed to its success by sharing nearly 2,000 photos.

Since September 21, Veolia employees have been posting their photos on the platform dedicated to the Paris Match magazine’s open competition. The photos address various themes related to the planet, such as preserving biodiversity, landscapes in need of protection, the impacts of climate change, water stress, and man versus nature.

At the end of the operation, Paris Match presented a book of the very best and most significant photos to many of the heads of state involved in the COP 21 negotiations.

Winners of the Veolia contest
The jury, composed of representatives of both the Paris Match magazine and Veolia, selected six finalists and one winner:

  • Jerry Fer Damian (Veolia Gulf Countries) won the competition for his photo taken in the province of Baler Aurora, in the Philippines.
  •  Sungsoo Yang (Veolia South Korea)
  • Peng Du (Veolia China)
  • Kang In Ho (Veolia South Korea)
  • Johnny McClung (Veolia North America)
  • ​Martin Mecnarowski (Veolia Czech Republic)
I took this photo in the Philippines - my homeland – in the Baler Aurora Province, 230 kilometers northeast of Manila. The fisherman is pulling his boat ashore to secure it on higher ground. A typhoon is on its way and strong winds have damaged its sail, made of old clothes, rugs, and old pieces of material stitched together. On average, 15-20 typhoons sweep the Philippines every year; they are getting more powerful and intense because of climate change.
Jerry Fer Damian
winner of the competition.
I was particularly impressed not only by the commitment of Veolia employees - large numbers of whom responded to the call and posted photos - but also by the quality of their work. Jerry Fer Damian’s photo depicting a boat whose sail is made of reused waste particularly touched me. I was very sensitive to all these colors and the message the photo sends.
Marc Brincourt
Chief Photo Editor, Paris Match

Members of the jury

  • Marc Brincourt, Chief Photo Editor at Paris Match
  • Philippe Legrand, Paris Match Director of Communications
  • Jean-Marie Lambert, Veolia Human Resources Director
  • Laurent Obadia, Veolia Communications Director
  • Laure Duquesne, Communications Officer for the Veolia photo library