A New Forest conservationist has called on students to play a pivotal role in battling climate change.

Chris Packham made the call during the Critical Awards in Television (CATs).

Packham's documentary, Is it Time to Break the Law?, which presents challenging questions on what may be ethically proper during protests against climate change policies, received the top accolade.

Packham suggested that television had the potential to do more in terms of promoting the climate change message. He extended gratitude to his director, Adrian Sibley, and to the Proper Content and Channel 4 teams for their assistance in shedding light on the issue.

The CATs also acknowledged students who have created their own films about climate change. One of the award-winning submissions was from 16-year-old Thomas Grindy.

His project, Help the Community, Save the World, which focused on self-grown vegetables and sustainable living methods, won the category for best 2-minute programme made by a school student.

A global category that celebrated projects recognizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals was won by a team from Ahram Canadian University in Egypt.

They were praised by Lyndsay Duthie, CEO of the Production Guild of Great Britain, for their technical skills and diverse approach to the subject.

Other notable entries included Maria Conlon from Keele University's Wake Up film about climate change, and George Donaldson from University of the West of Scotland’s programme, Kick Mental Health, that focuses on the mental health struggles of young men.

The awards were organised by the Television Studies Research Group at Edge Hill University in conjunction with SustainNET, the Critical Studies in Television journal and the Production Guild.

Elke Weissmann, Head of the Research Group, said: "We wanted to draw attention to the value and importance of television in all our lives.

"This is the second time we have celebrated television as distinct from its technical qualities such as acting or music.

"While we previously focused on the role of television during the Covid-19 pandemic, this time we wanted to draw attention to its role in communicating climate change."