Britain votes Obki as Cop26 UK ambassador

The British public has chosen climate change cartoon character Obki as a ‘One Step Greener’ Ambassador

Ahead of COP26 – the U.N. Climate Change Conference taking place next week in Glasgow – a new series has been airing on Sky Kids; one that aims to help children understand climate change. The new 15-episode series Obki follows a loveable underwater alien on a mission to save planet Earth, aided by his futuristic sidekick, the Orb. Aimed at children aged 5-9 years, the two-minute episodes explore environmental topics in an entertaining way, while showing how our delicate ecosystem affects all those who call planet Earth their home.

This series is a collaboration with Sky Zero – Sky’s campaign to be net zero carbon by 2030 – by using its content and channels to raise awareness of the climate crisis and inspire viewers with actions they can take to protect the planet.

Obki scooped the highly contested One Step Greener Ambassadorship, voted for by the British public and its creators were invited to 10 Downing Street on Thursday for the episode to be showcased in a Cop26 Cultural reception. The first Obki episode Switch It Up will be showcased to 190 world leaders at COP26 on 7th November.

The award winning animator Simone Giampaolo and Obki founder Amanda Evans collectively have 40 years’ experience in the animation industry and have been recognised as the most inspiring, innovative and ground-breaking members of the animation sector. Simone believes film can be a powerful storytelling tool to educate people on the importance of nature and protecting the environment.

Amanda was originally Inspired to create Obki by her passion for open water swimming and seeing the effect the environment was having on the sea, she wanted to engage with kids. Evans says: “The One Step Greener campaign encourages people to take actions that have a positive impact on our environment. There are simple steps we can all take every day to make life more sustainable and they all add up. We are proud to be chosen as a COP26 ambassador. The loveable and fun persona of Obki has clearly resonated with the British public and we are so happy to lead the One Step Greener chain to encourage and inspire children around the world to go #OneStepGreener for the environment. We are looking forward to taking Obki’s message across the world.”

COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma said: “From schools to businesses and employees, to thousands of individuals across the country, we all have a part to play in going one step greener. That is why I am extremely proud to see the final One Step Greener Ambassadors announced. I look forward to seeing the stories of these inspirational individuals from all over the UK showcased at COP26.”

Obki is a new Sky Original TV series launched in August 2021. It features a loveable underwater alien called Obki on his journey to be a positive force for good on Earth. The show is available now on Sky Kids on demand for customers across the UK and ROI. Obki is expected to be the first sustainable cartoon character that will get a truly sustainable global licensing deal according to licensing guru Damian Hopkins.

An Obki Christmas Special episode will air on December 1st on Ski Kids.

Simone Giampaolo is a multi-award-winning director based in London with an insatiable appetite for storytelling and humour. In 2013, he graduated with distinction from the BA (Hons) Computer Animation Art & Design course at the National Centre for Computer Animation in Bournemouth, UK. Throughout his career he's directed, storyboarded and animated on over ten multi-award-winning animated films, including the very successful 'Only a Child', currently on its festival run. Between 2014 and 2018, Simone worked as animation director and CG generalist in the commercial department at Blue-Zoo Animation on a multitude of projects for clients such as Cartoon Network, Google, Disney, LEGO, Nickelodeon, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and BBC. Since then, he’s been crafting short films and mini-series at Jellyfish Pictures, Axis Studios, Ritzy Animation and Aardman and has recently finished directing the environmental Sky original TV series Obki.

Amanda has 20 years of experience in developing and launching successful projects including her first animation – Elizabeth Avenue – which follows the adventures of four K9 friends across the streets of London. A former professional sportswoman, Amanda is passionate about the outdoors especially the ocean. As an open water swimmer, Amanda has explored seas all over the world from the English Channel and the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean and the Bosporus Strait. Obki the alien is a true passion project which has brought to life Amanda’s creative ambition to take children on an animated adventure under the sea while educating them about the very real challenges faced by our planet. Her visionary ideas and business knowledge have brought together a talented team to launch Obki onto our screens.