Palestinians react as they gather at the site of an explosion, following Israeli strikes in Gaza City on August 5, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

Polar frame, by Dmitry Kokh, Russia. When Kokh’s boat approached the small island of Kolyuchin in the Russian High Arctic, which had been abandoned by humans since 1992, he was surprised to spot movement in one of the houses. Binoculars revealed polar bears – more than 20 in total – exploring the ghost town. Dmitry used a low-noise drone to document them. (Photo by Dmitry Kokh/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022)

Climate change activist Greta Thunberg reacts during a news conference during COP25 climate summit in Madrid, Spain, December 9, 2019. (Photo by Juan Medina/Reuters)

Natural world and wildlife shortlist. Lop Buri in Thailand is home to hundreds of macaques, which local residents consider to be disciples of the Hindu god Hanuman. While some people love them, others fear or even hate them. Despite the inconvenience they often cause, the macaques are generally respected and considered sacred. (Photo by Joan de la Malla/Sony World Photography Awards)

A calico sits in its enclosure and suns itself in Hessen, Germany on May 28, 2021. The Opel Zoo presents a walk-in Madagascar aviary for caltas and varis. The primate species is native to Madagascar and is threatened with extinction. (Photo by Andreas Arnold/dpa)

A man passes at the displayed art installation “Middle way” by Romanian artist Bogdan Rata in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, November 20, 2018. The monument set on the central Kiev street of Khreshchatyk, at the place of Vladimir Lenin monument which was destroyed in 2013 during the Maidan events. (Photo by Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo)

Emily Hicks (not pictured) of Charleston holds her dog Murphy along the waterfront ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Dorian in Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., September 4, 2019. (Photo by Randall Hill/Reuters)

Human Connection Award: People and Planet Ocean – Winner – Steve Woods. A free diver interacts with a sperm whale among a cloud of sargassum weed, Dominica. (Photo by Steve Woods/Ocean Photographer of the Year 2022)