Prince William has announced the 15-person longlist of Earthshot Prize finalists who are in the running for five £1million prizes later this year.
Crowds in New York for the third annual Earthshot Innovation Summit were shown a video of William, filmed in Windsor earlier this month, in which he labelled the group of 15 “true inspirations” as he talked up his – and their – passion for “making a difference to our planet“.
In his role as founder and president of the prize, Prince William told attendees: “Today, we celebrate the incredible achievement, unwavering dedication and urgent optimism that drives our fourth class of Earthshot innovators.
“The passion of these finalists is a testament to what can be achieved when we tap into the enormous creativity, ingenuity, and optimism of communities around the world.
The 15 finalists come from a record number of countries
EARTHSHOT PRIZE
“Representing every corner of the globe, these finalists are leading the way in solving some of the most urgent environmental challenges.
“Their groundbreaking work is inspiring hope and action as we work to create a sustainable future for generations to come.”
The 15 finalists fall into five categories, each of which will produce one winner of the million-pound prizes at an awards ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa on November 6.
Some 2,500 nominations were submitted for the prizes from 139 countries, the largest-ever nomination pool in Earthshot history.
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The winners will be chosen by the Earthshot Prize Council – a top team “dedicated to championing urgent and innovative action to protect the climate and our natural environment” which includes Sir David Attenborough
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Of the 15, the nominees come from all six inhabited continents – and include several firsts, including the first finalists from France, Ghana, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Nepal.
The winners will be chosen by the Earthshot Prize Council – a top team “dedicated to championing urgent and innovative action to protect the climate and our natural environment” which includes Sir David Attenborough, Stella McCartney and Queen Rania of Jordan – the mother of Prince William’s friend Crown Prince Hussein.
The five categories comprise:
- The Earthshot Prize to Protect And Restore Nature
- The Earthshot Prize to Clean Our Air
- The Earthshot Prize to Revive Our Oceans
- The Earthshot Prize to Build A Waste-Free World
- The Earthshot Prize to Fix Our Climate
William said the finalists are “leading the way in solving some of the most urgent environmental challenges”
EARTHSHOT PRIZE
The nominees include solar home-building firms, a group of countries protecting the Amazon rainforest, companies making earthquake-resilient bricks and solar-powered fridges, and even a social enterprise that aims to build the world’s largest supply of regenerative seaweed.
And it’s not just a cash prize on offer for victory – the five winners will receive “dedicated mentorship, resources and technical support” to help expand their businesses, and will come face-to-face with investors as Earthshot Prize-winning firms.
The prize, founded by Prince William in 2020, draws inspiration from US President John F Kennedy’s “Moonshot”, which pushed mankind to reach the surface of the moon.
In contrast, the Earthshot Prize “aims to catalyse an Earthshot challenge” in order to put the world firmly on a trajectory towards a stable climate, “where communities, oceans and biodiversity thrive in harmony by 2030”.