Prince William announces 15 Finalists for inaugural year of the £50 million Earthshot Prize
17.9.2021 20:01:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
The Earthshot Prize announces today its first-ever shortlist of 15 Finalists, each with a chance of winning £1million to support their innovative environmental solutions to the greatest challenges facing the planet.
Prince William said: "Over half a century ago, President Kennedy’s ‘Moonshot’ programme united millions of people around the goal of reaching the moon. Inspired by this, The Earthshot Prize aims to mobilise collective action around our unique ability to innovate, problem solve and repair our planet.
“I am honoured to introduce the 15 innovators, leaders, and visionaries who are the first ever Finalists for The Earthshot Prize. They are working with the urgency required in this decisive decade for life on Earth and will inspire all of us with their optimism in our ability to rise to the greatest challenges in human history.”
Launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in October 2020, The Earthshot Prize is the most prestigious global environment prize in history. Like President John F. Kennedy’s ‘Moonshot’ did almost 60 years ago, the Prize aims to unleash an unprecedented wave of innovation and leadership to tackle our greatest environmental challenges. The Earthshot Prize will be awarded every year for the next decade, discovering a total of 50 Winners.
Five of these 15 Finalists will be awarded The Earthshot Prize and will win £1million in Prize funding for the best solutions of the five Earthshot goals: Protect and Restore Nature; Clean our Air; Revive our Oceans; Build a Waste-free World; and Fix our Climate. The Winners will be announced during an awards ceremony on 17th October from London’s Alexandra Palace, broadcast in the UK on BBC One and globally on Discovery+.
The Earthshot Prize Finalists for 2021 are:
Protect and Restore Nature:
- Pole Pole Foundation, Democratic Republic of Congo
An inspiring community-led model of conservation that protects gorillas and local livelihoods.
- The Republic of Costa Rica
A pioneering scheme paying local citizens to restore natural ecosystems that has led to a revival of the rainforest.
- Restor, Switzerland
A ground-breaking online platform connecting and empowering local conservation projects.
Clean our Air:
- The Blue Map App, China
China’s first public environmental database enabling citizens to hold polluters to account.
- Takachar, India
A pioneering technology to create profitable products from agricultural waste and put a stop to the burning of crops.
- Vinisha Umashankar, India
A 14-year-old innovator and activist who has designed a solar-powered ironing cart with the potential to improve air quality across India.
Revive our Oceans:
- Coral Vita, Bahamas
A truly cutting-edge breakthrough in coral farming that can restore our world’s dying coral reefs.
- Living Seawalls, Australia
Innovative and replicable seawall panels bringing marine life back to coastal sea defences.
- Pristine Seas, USA
An unprecedented global conservation programme protecting 6.5 million square km of the world’s ocean.
Build a Waste-Free World:
- The City of Milan Food Waste Hubs, Italy
A city-wide initiative that has dramatically cut waste while tackling hunger.
- Sanergy, Kenya
A circular sanitation solution that converts human waste into safe products for local farmers.
- WOTA BOX, Japan
A tiny water treatment plant that turns 98% of wastewater into clean water.
Fix our Climate:
- AEM Electrolyser, Thailand/Germany/Italy
An ingenious green hydrogen technology developed to transform how we power our homes and buildings.
- Reeddi Capsules, Nigeria
Solar-powered energy capsules making electricity affordable and accessible in energy-poor communities.
- SOLbazaar, Bangladesh
The world’s first peer-to-peer energy exchange network in a country on the front-line of climate change.
All 15 Finalists will receive support from The Earthshot Prize Global Alliance Members, an unprecedented network of global businesses, who will help scale their solutions for even greater impact.
Of these 15 Finalists, the five Winners will be selected by The Earthshot Prize Council, a diverse team of influential individuals which includes: HRH Prince William, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Sir David Attenborough, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Indra Nooyi, Shakira Mebarak, Christiana Figueres, Luisa Neubauer, Cate Blanchett, Yao Ming, Daniel Alves Da Silva, Ernest Gibson, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Jack Ma, and Naoko Yamazaki.
In the run-up to the prize-giving ceremony on 17 October, BBC and Discovery will release a 5-part documentary series THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE: REPAIRING OUR PLANET, featuring Earthshot Prize Council Members including Prince William, Shakira Mebarak, Daniel Alves Da Silva and Sir David Attenborough.
For more information about the Finalists and The Earthshot Prize, visit: www.earthshotprize.org, email Claire Straw: TEPmedia@freuds.com, download media pack here.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210917005454/en/
Contact information
Claire Straw:
TEPmedia@freuds.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Saudi Fund for Development Signs USD 15 Million Agreement with the Republic of Palau to Drive Local Economic Growth6.4.2026 22:01:00 EEST | Press release
The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) today signed a USD 15 million development loan agreement with the Republic of Palau, marking the Fund’s first-ever development partnership in the Pacific island nation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260406306007/en/ Saudi Fund for Development Signs USD 15 Million Agreement with the Republic of Palau to Drive Local Economic Growth (Photo: AETOSWire) The agreement was signed by H.E. Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, Chief Executive Officer of SFD, and H.E. Surangel S. Whipps Jr., President of the Republic of Palau during a ceremony in Palau’s capital, Ngerulmud. The USD 15 million development loan will be channeled through the National Development Bank of Palau. Designed to empower the local economy, the financing will support projects spearheaded by Palauan developers, businesses, and entrepreneurs. By aligning with Palau’s national priorities, the funds will catalyze high-im
Bureau Veritas Acquires Lotusworks, Reinforcing Its Position in Data Centers and Entering the Semiconductor Sector; This Establishes a New c.Eur 300 Million Growth Platform6.4.2026 21:00:00 EEST | Press release
Bureau Veritas, a global leader in Testing, Inspection, and Certification services (TIC), announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire Lotusworks, a global leader in mission‑critical assets commissioning and quality assurance and control. This strategic move will uniquely position the Buildings & Infrastructure Product Line to benefit from AI-driven construction investments. Headquartered in Ireland, Lotusworks is a leading provider of commissioning, quality assurance and quality control, calibration, maintenance, and construction management services for mission‑critical facilities for semiconductors manufacturers and data center owners. The Company operates in the United States and Europe, and employs 750 people including highly skilled experts, serving a diversified base of blue‑chip global clients, including hyperscalers and semiconductor manufacturers. Lotusworks’ activity is supported by long‑term frameworks, a strong multi‑year backlog, and recurring technical services in
Svante & Meadow Lake Tribal Council Partnership Agrees to Sell Microsoft 626,000 Tonnes of Carbon Removal Credits6.4.2026 18:00:00 EEST | Press release
Svante Technologies Inc. (Svante) and Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) announced today that North Star Carbon Solutions LP has entered into an offtake agreement with Microsoft to deliver 626,000 tonnes of durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits to be delivered over 15 years from the North Star bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project in Saskatchewan, Canada. The project is being developed through a partnership between MLTC and Svante and will be co-located at the MLTC Bioenergy Centre in Meadow Lake. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260406630377/en/ As part of the project, a new carbon capture plant will be established at the MLTC Bioenergy Centre, a renewable power generation facility supplied by sustainable waste biomass from the adjacent sawmill owned by MLTC and other local forest product mills. The new plant will be owned by North Star Carbon Solutions LP, a partnership between MLTC
Textron Aviation Names Five 2026 Top Hawk Recipients as Program Enters Its Second Decade of Workforce Impact6.4.2026 18:00:00 EEST | Press release
Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced Brazos Valley Flight Services, Executive Air Taxi Corporation, Fairmont State University, Sterling Flight Training and Victors Aviation as its 2026 Top Hawk program recipients, continuing a legacy that has placed 55 factory-new Cessna Skyhawks in training environments since the program launched in 2015. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260402481685/en/ Factory-new Cessna Skyhawks (Model 172) to take flight as Textron Aviation names five 2026 Top Hawk recipients—helping train the next generation of pilots Now entering its second decade, Top Hawk is one of the industry’s longest‑running manufacturer‑school partnerships. Designed to support aviation workforce development, the program loans custom‑branded, factory‑new Skyhawks to selected organizations for one year, giving students access to the world’s most popular training aircraft and help
The Spectrum of Global Cinema Unfolds in Jeonju: The 27th JEONJU International Film Festival6.4.2026 16:23:00 EEST | Press release
The 27th JEONJU International Film Festival (JIFF) is set to run from April 29 to May 8 in Jeonju, featuring 237 movies from 54 countries. Jeonju—the most authentic Korean city and a prominent tourist destination in Asia known for its tradition and cuisine—will host this year’s film festival under the slogan “Beyond the Frame.” This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260406890043/en/ The 27th JEONJU International Film Festival will take place from April 29 to May 8 in Jeonju (Image: JEONJU CITY) Opening the 27th edition will be Kent Jones’s “Late Fame,” while the film “The Longest Night: Namtaeryong” directed by Kim Hyun-ji will close the festival. In addition, a special program honors the late Korean actor Ahn Sung-ki, who passed away last year. Titled “Special Focus: Ahn Sung-ki’s Memorable Films Yet Rarely Seen,” it showcases seven of his films to pay tribute to a distinguished acting career defined by ceaseless ar
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom