Ingmar Björn Nolting
Germany • Born: 1995
Climate Paradoxes 

Great writers have a way of putting our emotions into words. Great photographers achieve the same through images. This is precisely what Ingmar Björn Nolting has been able to do, as he tackles the complex subject of climate change and Germany’s attempts to combat it.

Germany, Europe’s industrial giant, has set itself the goal of becoming climateneutral by 2045. This places the country among the international frontrunners in the fight against climate change. Plans include phasing out coal by 2038, putting 15 million electric cars on the road within four years, and massively expanding renewable energy production.

The President of Germany’s Federal Environment Agency, Dirk Messner describes this endeavour as “the most significant modernisation and prosperity programme since World War II.”

However, as with many ambitious plans, good intentions soon come up against reality on the ground. Achieving climate neutrality means rethinking and changing everyday ways of life, and that often meets resistance. This is part of a wider international paradox. Although surveys show broad support for climate protection, the public’s enthusiasm tends to fade when concrete measures are introduced.

Recent events have made the situation even more complex. Germany’s dependence on Russian gas, the resulting energy crisis, economic difficulties, and inflation have all deepened social divisions. Nolting’s photographic essay takes us into the heart of this fractured landscape. His images show a country wrestling with climate issues while searching for a fragile social consensus.

How Do You Photograph a Paradox?

“The way I work relies on careful observation and meticulous research,” Nolting explains. “I build calm, carefully composed scenes that show how people live within their environment and how it shapes their lives.”

The resulting series builds, image by image, into a complex yet remarkably accurate portrait of a society torn between its climate ambitions and the reality of how people live. Together, the photographs map the paradoxes of our time – a period that future generations will almost certainly look back on with a critical eye.  

Nolting’s journalistic work provides a nuanced, wide-ranging perspective on climate and environmental change and helps us understand why some people act and why others do not. His images encourage discussion and reflection and create a space for imagination and hope as we try to better prepare for what lies ahead. 

Ingmar Björn Nolting is the 2025 winner of the Yves Rocher Foundation Photo Prize, in partnership with Visa pour l’Image-Perpignan. 

He was awarded an €8,000 grant to complete this long-running project, which he is exhibiting in full for the first time at La Gacilly. 

Jardin du Relais Postal.