| Earthshot Prize | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded for | Solutions toclimate change and environmental issues from 2021 to 2030 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Presented by | The Royal Foundation (2021) The Earthshot Prize Foundation (2022–present)[1] |
| Reward(s) | £1 million per winner |
| First award | 2021 |
| Website | earthshotprize |
TheEarthshot Prize is a global environmental award that is rewarded to five winners each year for their contributions towardsenvironmentalism. It was first awarded in 2021 and is planned to be awarded annually until 2030. Each winner receives a grant of £1 million to continue their environmental work. The five categories were inspired by theUN Sustainable Development Goals; they are 'restoration and protection of nature', 'air cleanliness', 'ocean revival', 'waste-free living' and 'climate action'.
The prize was launched in 2020 byPrince William and the biologist and natural historianDavid Attenborough. The winners are selected by the Earthshot Prize Council, which includes William and Attenborough.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge announced the Earthshot Prize on 31 December 2019, after two years of development. The prize will be awarded annually from 2021 to 2030 to five individuals or organisations who create impactful and sustainable solutions addressing the planet's environmental challenges.[2] William stated that he felt responsibility to establish the prize as Earth was at a "tipping point" and cited the work of his grandfatherPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, his fatherCharles, Prince of Wales, and the broadcasterDavid Attenborough as inspiring influences.[3][4] The prize's name is inspired by the former American presidentJohn F. Kennedy'sMoonshot.[5][2]
William and Attenborough formally launched in October 2020,[3] with a prize budget of £50 million over the next decade.[6] To commemorate the launch William gave aTed Talk discussing climate change and encouraged world leaders to take action.[7] The pair appeared together in theITV documentaryA Planet For Us All (2020), which detailed the importance of environmental work and discussed the new prize.[8]
The project is funded by donations from philanthropists and charitable organisations, including:Aga Khan Development Network,[9]Bloomberg Philanthropies,DP World in partnership withDubai Expo 2020,[10] theJack Ma Foundation, theWorld Wide Fund for Nature,Greenpeace, and theBezos Earth Fund.[11][12][13]Hannah Jones is the programme's CEO.[14]
The prize became an independent charity in July 2022 after being a part of theRoyal Foundation for two years.[15]Christiana Figueres, David Fein, Tokunboh Ishamael,M. Sanjayan, Jason Knauf, Zoë Ware and Jean-Christophe Gray were also appointed to the board of trustees in the same month.[15] The former prime minister of New Zealand,Jacinda Ardern, joined the board in April 2023.[16][17]
A £1 million prize will be awarded annually between 2021 and 2030 to a winner in each of the following five categories:
In September 2023, ahead of the second Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in New York City, the animal rights and climate activist,Genesis Butler, partnered with Generation Vegan to request the Prince of Wales to add an "Advance a Plant-Based Food System" category, matching the sum that the other five category winners receive.[23]
Each area is supported by theUN Sustainable Development Goals and scientifically agreed international measures.[24] Submissions are open to any individual, team, organisation, or government with workable solutions.[25][26] The Earthshot Prize Council is responsible for determining a winner from each category every year.[6] There is a five-stage process to select a winner for each Earthshot, designed alongside the Centre for Public Impact.[27] Nominations are screened with an independent assessment process run byDeloitte.[28] A panel of experts then make recommendations to the Prize Council, who select the final winners, narrowed from fifteen finalists.[3] Shortlisted finalists will also receive resources for "tailored support" and connections with organisations to expand their work.[26]
The Earthshot Prize Council comprises global ambassadors from a range of sectors dedicated towards positive action in the environmental space.[25] The fourteen members are Prince William,Queen Rania of Jordan, the actressCate Blanchett, David Attenborough, Ernest Gibson, the environmental activistHindou Oumarou Ibrahim, the business executiveIndra Nooyi, the climate activistLuisa Neubauer, the former astronautNaoko Yamazaki, the economistNgozi Okonjo-Iweala, the fashion designerStella McCartney, the chef and restaurateurJosé Andrés, the environmentalistWanjira Mathai, and the indigenous activistNemonte Nenquimo who select the winners in a judging session led byChristiana Figueres.[29][30] Former members include the footballerDani Alves, the singerShakira, the businessmanJack Ma and the basketball executiveYao Ming.[31]Luisa Neubauer and Ernest Gibson were announced as new members of the council in May 2021.[32]Michael Bloomberg was named as a global adviser to the winners of the prize in September that year.[33] The conservationist and television personalityRobert Irwin and the actressNomzamo Mbatha were named as global ambassadors of the prize in September 2024.[30]
A book entitledEarthshot: How To Save Our Planet was written to accompany the prizes, written by Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes, with contributions from several of the judges. Butfield and Hughes also produced an accompanying five-partBBC One TV series about the project.[34] The book was published in the UK, Europe and across the Commonwealth on 30 September 2021, and in the US on 5 October.[35] The five-part series titledThe Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet was broadcast by BBC One in the first two weeks of October and available for streaming onBBC iPlayer andDiscovery+.[36][37] The miniseries consisted of documentary style episodes, each based on the five UNSustainable Development Goals, and were presented by William and David Attenborough.[38] In December 2024, William appeared in a documentary titledThe Earthshot Report, produced by theBBC Studios and presented by the actressHannah Waddingham, which underscored the impact and progress of the Prize's finalists.[39]
It was announced in September 2021 that the Earthshot Prize Global Alliance—consisting of companies such asArup,Bloomberg L.P.,Deloitte,Herbert Smith Freehills,Hitachi, theINGKA Group,Microsoft,MultiChoice,Natura & Co,Safaricom,Salesforce,Unilever,Vodacom, andWalmart—will help "scale up" ideas submitted by the inaugural 15 finalists.[35]British Airways joined the alliance in September 2024.[40]
A nine-month Fellowship Programme was launched in 2022 to help the finalists develop more ideas by forming partnerships with various businesses and organisations that are part of the Earthshot Prize Global Alliance.[41] Since 2022, the prize has co-hosted an annual innovation summit together withBloomberg Philanthropies.[42]
The prize announced a two-year partnership withYouTube in May 2023, which would include "co-branded campaigns, events and creator collaborations".[43] Prince William joined with the YouTube channelSorted Food in July 2023 to serveveggie burgers from a food truck in London. The burgers were made and served with items sourced from the 2022 winners.[44] The Earthshot Prize Launchpad was initiated in March 2024 as a matchmaking platform to connect Earthshot winners and innovators with investors and philanthropists.[45]
Nominations for the inaugural prize ceremony opened on 1 November 2020, with over 100 nominating partners eligible to submit.[46] The ceremony took place on 17 October 2021 atAlexandra Palace in London[47] and was broadcast on Discovery+ and BBC One.[47]Clara Amfo andDermot O'Leary hosted the event while the awards were presented by theDuchess of Cambridge, the actressesEmma Thompson andEmma Watson, the actorDavid Oyelowo and the footballerMohamed Salah.[48]Ed Sheeran,Coldplay,KSI andYemi Alade, andShawn Mendes performed at the event.[48] Sixty cyclists pedalling on bikes provided the power for music performances.[49] None of the celebrities travelled to London by plane and the stage was built using sustainable, non-plastic materials such as recycled wood and metal.[49] All of the guests were advised to choose environmentally appropriate outfits which included wearing clothes made from sustainable materials, such as organic cotton, recycled fabrics, and second-hand items.[49]
15 finalists were announced on 17 September 2021,[50] with the winners being announced on 17 October 2021.[51]
| Protect and Restore Nature |
|---|
| Winner:The Republic of Costa Rica, for "a scheme paying local citizens to restore natural ecosystems that has led to a revival of the rainforest."[52][49] |
| Pole Pole Foundation (Congo), for "a community-led model of conservation that protects gorillas and local livelihoods."[52] |
| Restor, Switzerland for "an online platform connecting and empowering local conservation projects."[52] |
| Clean our Air |
|---|
| Winner:Takachar, for a "technology to create profitable products from agricultural waste and put a stop to the burning of crops."[52][49] |
| The Blue Map App (China), for a "public environmental database enabling citizens to hold polluters to account."[52] |
| Vinisha Umashankar (India), for "design[ing] a solar-powered ironing cart with the potential to improve air quality across India."[52][53] |
| Revive our Oceans |
|---|
| Winner:Coral Vita (Bahamas), for a "coral farming project designed to restore the world's dying coral reefs."[52][49][54] |
| Living Seawalls (Australia), for "innovative tiles attached tosea walls, creating habitats for marine life to attach to."[52] |
| Pristine Seas (Enric Sala,National Geographic Society, United States), for a "global conservation programme protecting 6.5 million square km of the world's ocean."[52][55][56] |
| Build a Waste-Free World |
|---|
| Winner:The City of Milan Food Waste Hubs (Italy), for a "city-wide initiative that has dramatically cut waste while tackling hunger."[52][49] |
| Sanergy, Kenya, for "a sanitation solution that converts human waste into safe products for local farmers."[52] |
| WOTA BOX (Japan), for "a tiny water treatment plant that turns 98% of wastewater into clean water."[52] |
| Fix our Climate |
|---|
| Winner:AEM Electrolyser (Thailand/Germany/Italy), for "an ingenious clean hydrogen fuel technology designed to transform how homes and buildings are powered."[52][49] (Anion exchange membraneelectrolysis) |
| Reeddi Capsules (Nigeria), for "solar-powered energy capsules making electricity affordable and accessible in energy-poor communities."[52] |
| SOLbazaar (Bangladesh), for "the world's first peer-to-peer energy exchange network in a country on the front-line of climate change."[52] |
The inaugural Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit took place in New York City on 21 September 2022.[57] The 2022 awards ceremony took place at theMGM Music Hall at Fenway inBoston on 2 December,[58] and was broadcast in the UK on BBC One and in the US onPBS.[59][60] Nominations for the second prize ceremony opened on 6 January 2022.[61]
Fifteen finalists were announced on 4 November 2022[62] and the winners were revealed at the awards ceremony.[59] They took part in the event remotely.[62] Attenborough narrated the opening of the event and Cate Blanchett voiced a lookback at the award's inaugural winners.[63] Clara Amfo andDaniel Dae Kim hosted the event while the awards were presented by the Princess of Wales, the footballerDavid Beckham, the actorRami Malek, and the actressesCatherine O'Hara andShailene Woodley.[63][64]Billie Eilish andFinneas,Annie Lennox,Ellie Goulding, andChloe x Halle performed at the event.[65]
| Protect and Restore Nature |
|---|
| Winner:Kheyti (India): a start-up that uses the "Greenhouse-in-a-Box" technique to protect small farms from the effects of climate change[62][59] |
| Hutan (Malaysia): a research organisation aimed at creating wildlife corridors to restore natural areas and protect orangutans and other species[62] |
| Desert Agricultural Transformation (China): a technique known as "desert soilization" used by Yi Zhijian and his team to transform barren desert into fertile land[62] |
| Clean our Air |
|---|
| Winner:Mukuru Clean Stoves (Kenya): founded byCharlot Magayi, it providescleaner burning stoves that use processed biomass to reduce indoor pollution[62][59] |
| Ampd Enertainer (Hong Kong, China): an all-electric battery energy storage system designed byAmpd Energy to power construction sites, eliminating the need for fossil fuels[62] |
| Roam (Kenya): a project aimed at making electric vehicles available in East Africa[62] |
| Revive our Oceans |
|---|
| Winner:Indigenous Women of the Great Barrier Reef (Australia): a network of indigenous women rangers who use their knowledge and digital technologies to preserve the nature[62][59] |
| Great Bubble Barrier (Netherlands): a team of ocean scientists, whose technique utilizes "air pumped through a perforated tube to create a curtain of bubbles", which ensures plastic ends up on the surface and goes into a waste collection system[62] |
| SeaForester (Portugal): the team creates "green gravel", small stones that are seeded with seaweed spores, which are essential for capturing underwater CO2[62] |
| Build a Waste-Free World |
|---|
| Winner:Notpla (United Kingdom): the start-up produces packaging using seaweed and plants as an alternative to plastic[62][59] |
| The City of Amsterdam (Netherlands): nominated for their efforts to create acircular economy[62] |
| Fleather (India): a leather made of floral waste by Phool, an Indian company[62] |
| Fix our Climate |
|---|
| Winner:44.01 (Oman): eliminates CO2 by mineralising it inperidotite[62][59] |
| LanzaTech (United States): the company uses gas fermentation technology to reduce pollution[62] |
| Low Carbon Materials (United Kingdom): the company aims at making zero carbon concrete blocks usingOSTO, a carbon-negative alternative to traditional aggregate[62] |
The second Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit took place in New York City on 19 September 2023 where the fifteen finalists of the 2023 prize were announced.[66]The 2023 awards ceremony took place at the Mediacorp Theatre inSingapore on 7 November.[67] The event was a part of the inaugural Earthshot Week, which began on 6 November and saw global leaders, businesses and investors meet with the Earthshot Prize winners and finalists.[68] In August that year, celebrities includingOlivia Colman,Dame Emma Thompson, andChris Packham signed a letter urging Prince William to add avegan category, warning that without a transition to plant-based diets the planet cannot be preserved.[69] The actressHannah Waddingham and the actorSterling K. Brown hosted the awards ceremony while the pop starsBastille,OneRepublic andBebe Rexha gave musical performances. The actressCate Blanchett presented one of the awards while the actressLana Condor, the wildlife conservationistRobert Irwin, and the actorsNomzamo Mbatha andDonnie Yen took turns introducing the winners of the other categories.[70]
15 finalists were announced on 19 September 2023.[71]
| Protect and Restore Nature |
|---|
| Winner:Accion Andina (Peru): a project working across South America to protect native forest ecosystems across theAndes[71][72] |
| Freetown the Tree Town (Sierra Leone): an initiative by theFreetown City Council to increase and preserve tree population[71] |
| Belterra (Brazil): a company that works in partnership with farmers to regenerate degraded lands via new agricultural practices[71] |
| Clean our Air |
|---|
| Winner:GRST (Hong Kong, China): a start-up that has developed a new process for making and recycling lithium-ion batteries[71][72] |
| Polish Smog Alert (Poland): a campaigning group working to encourage policy change and improve the air quality across Poland[71] |
| Enso (United Kingdom): a company that has created sustainable tires for electric vehicles with hopes of reducing tire and air pollution[71] |
| Revive our Oceans |
|---|
| Winner:WildAid Marine Program (global): a non-profit that allows data sharing to conserve the oceans[71][72] |
| Abalobi (South Africa): an organization that guides small fishing communities towards sustainability by providing relevant data[71] |
| Coastal 500 (global): an international network involving mayors and local leaders aimed at improving and protecting ocean habitats[71] |
| Build a Waste-Free World |
|---|
| Winner:S4S Technologies (India): a start-up that uses its solar powered dehydration equipment to reduce food waste and help farmers process excess crops into products with a longer shelf lives[71][72] |
| Circ Inc. (United States): a company that has developed a way of recyclingpolycotton back to its raw materials so that it can be reused and reduce textile waste[71] |
| Colorifix (United Kingdom): a company that creates sustainable pigments and dyes from natural resources to reduce water and chemical waste in the fashion industry[71] |
| Fix our Climate |
|---|
| Winner:Boomitra (global): a company that tries to reduce emissions by creating a soil carbon marketplace to restore lands[71][72] |
| Sea Forest (Australia): a company that has created a seaweed-based livestock feed which would reducemethane emissions from ruminant animals"[71] |
| Aquacycl (United States): a company that uses microbial technology to make treating industrial wastewater more cost-effective and accessible, more efficient and less polluting[71] |
The 2024 awards ceremony took place inCape Town, South Africa, on 6 November.[73] The finalists for the prize were announced in September 2024 at the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit held inNew York City.[74] The singer and actorBilly Porter and the television presenterBonang Matheba hosted the awards ceremony while the television presentersEbuka Obi-Uchendu andNomuzi Mabena hosted the Green Carpet.[75][76]Davido,Diamond Platnumz,Lebo M, theNdlovu Youth Choir, andUncle Waffles gave musical performances.[76] The modelsHeidi Klum andWinnie Harlow, the actressesNina Dobrev andNomzamo Mbatha, the wildlife conservationistRobert Irwin, and the rapperTobe Nwigwe took turns in introducing the winners of the five categories.[75]
On 4 November, Prince William met with young environmentalists upon arriving in Cape Town as part of the prize's inaugural Climate Leaders Youth Program.[77] The winners were announced at the awards ceremony on 6 November.[78]
| Protect and Restore Nature |
|---|
| Winner:Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative (Kazakhstan): an organisation responsible for saving theSaiga antelope from extinction[79][80] |
| Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance (Ecuador): an alliance of multiple nations to protect 86 million acres of the Amazon rainforest[79][80] |
| NatureMetrics (United Kingdom): A worldwide start-up specialising inenvironmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, aiming to make biodiversity monitoring easy and accessible for all.[79][80] |
| Clean our Air |
|---|
| Winner:GAYO (Ghana): an organisation focused on transforming waste management practices across Africa by encouraging behavioural change through its “zero waste model.”[79][80] |
| d.light (Pan-Africa): a company offering affordable and sustainable solar home systems that deliver electricity, replacing harmful kerosene lamps and inefficient cooking stoves.[79][80] |
| MYCL (Indonesia): a company addressing the issues of crop-waste burning and the detrimental production of leather, both of which contribute to air pollution and adversely affect the quality of life[79][80] |
| Revive our Oceans |
|---|
| Winner:High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (global): an alliance comprising 119 nations dedicated to safeguarding terrestrial and marine environments by focusing on identifying gaps in technology, finance, and knowledge, while also facilitating connections between governments and sources of technical support and funding[79][80] |
| MiAlgae (United Kingdom): a company providing a circular economy approach to address the challenge of obtaining marine Omega-3s from fish oil, a process that necessitates the capture of wild fish to sustain aquaculture[79][80] |
| Coast 4C (Philippines): a social enterprise with the objective of establishing the largest supply of regenerative seaweed globally, thereby providing advantages to underprivileged coastal fishing communities[79][80] |
| Build a Waste-Free World |
|---|
| Winner:Keep It Cool (Kenya): a company addressing challenges related to effective refrigeration and cold-chain logistics throughout Africa by providing solar-powered refrigeration solutions and linking smallholder farmers and fishers to a centralized online marketplace[79][80] |
| Natural Fiber Welding (United States): a company specialising in the development of biodegradable natural fibers and ingredients designed to serve as alternatives to plastics, with extensive applications across various sectors including fashion, footwear, automotive, and beyond[79][80] |
| Ferment'Up (France): a company that specialises in the upcycling of skins and seeds derived from fruits and vegetables, employing a dry fermentation process to transform food waste into valuable ingredients[79][80] |
| Fix our Climate |
|---|
| Winner:Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems (United States): a company which harnesses surplus heat generated from heavy industrial activities, such as cement and steel production, and transforms this waste heat into electrical energy[79][80] |
| Equatic (United States): a company employing a method known as seawater electrolysis to extract carbon dioxide from the ocean at a rate more efficient than natural processes[79][80] |
| Build Up Nepal (Nepal): a social enterprise that has created a brick designed to withstand earthquakes, which produces 75% fewer carbon emissions than conventional clay-fired bricks[79][80] |
