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
Access Advance Welcomes Wave of New Licensees to the HEVC Advance Patent Pool8.7.2026 03:00:00 EEST | Press release
Access Advance LLC, the leading HEVC patent pool administrator, today announced a significant expansion of the HEVC Advance Patent Pool, with 28 companies executing licenses in the first half of 2026. The new Licensees span consumer electronics, automotive, telecommunications, industrial technology, and professional security, reflecting the breadth of industries in which HEVC has become a foundational video technology. "HEVC remains the cornerstone of modern video delivery, and the demand we are seeing from new Licensees speaks to the long-term commercial relevance of this technology," said Peter Moller, CEO of Access Advance. "HEVC licensing activity has been consistently strong, and we are pleased to welcome a number of important new participants to the program." Notably, nine video surveillance equipment manufacturers have joined the HEVC Advance program as Licensees, ranging from three of the world's largest video surveillance equipment makers to specialized developers of security
Empire State Building Observation Deck Run-Up Returns for 48 th Annual Race on Oct. 68.7.2026 01:22:00 EEST | Press release
The Empire State Building Observation Deck (ESB), atop the “World’s Most Famous Building,” today announced that general lottery registration is open for this year's Empire State Building Observation Deck Run-Up (ESBRU), which will run through July 20, 2026. The annual race, presented by NYU Langone Health and powered by Merrell, will take place on Oct. 6, 2026, at 8 p.m. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707902561/en/ Empire State Building Observation Deck Run-Up Returns for 48th Annual Race on Oct. 6 This year’s race marks the 48th anniversary of the event, in which 225 runners will race up 1,576 stairs of the iconic New York City landmark to reach the world-famous 86th Floor Observation Deck. “Every year, the Empire State Building Observation Deck Run-Up is a remarkable feat for all who participate as they race up to Tripadvisor's #1 top attraction in the U.S.,” said Tony Malkin, chairman and CEO of the Emp
Modon's Hudayriyat Golf Estates Sets UAE Record With More Than AED 13 Billion in Sales Within Days of Launch7.7.2026 21:36:00 EEST | Press release
Modon has set a new benchmark for the UAE real estate market with the launch of Hudayriyat Golf Estates on Hudayriyat Island, Abu Dhabi. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707126559/en/ Modon's Hudayriyat Golf Estates sets UAE record with more than AED 13 billion in sales within days of launch (Photo: AETOSWire) Within days of launch, the community achieved record-breaking sales exceeding AED 13 billion, marking the highest publicly recorded sales value for a single residential project launch in the UAE. Comprising an exclusive collection of golf mansions, villas, and townhouses, the development saw 1,700 of its residences sold after few days of launch. The response from buyers and investors reflects confidence in Abu Dhabi’s real estate market and Modon’s development vision, while reinforcing Hudayriyat Island’s position as a premier lifestyle destination. Designed around privacy, wellbeing and premium living
Loomis Sayles Growth Equity Strategies Team Celebrates Twenty-Year Milestones7.7.2026 17:36:00 EEST | Press release
Loomis, Sayles & Company, the century-old investment manager with nearly $418 billion in assets under management, proudly celebrates the 20-year anniversaries of the Loomis Sayles Large Cap Growth and the Loomis Sayles All Cap Growth strategies, as well as a differentiated approach to growth equity investing under the leadership of Aziz V. Hamzaogullari, CFA, the founder, chief investment officer and portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Growth Equity Strategies (GES) Team. Aziz is also an executive vice president and a member of the firm’s Board of Directors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707992418/en/ Celebrating 20 Years of The Power of Active Management Done Right GES is a cohesive team with 20 years of alpha generation and a long-term, private equity approach to investing. Under Aziz Hamzaogullari’s leadership since 2010, assets under management for GES have grown from $1.9 billion to $98.2 billion
Integral Ad Science Appoints Lidiane Jones Chief Executive Officer7.7.2026 16:35:00 EEST | Press release
Integral Ad Science (IAS), one of the world's most trusted media quality companies, today announced the appointment of Lidiane Jones as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Jones succeeds Lisa Utzschneider, who led IAS for more than seven years and will remain with the company as Special Advisor to the Board through the end of 2026 to support a seamless transition. Utzschneider will also serve as a Special Advisor to Novacap and their portfolio companies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707780892/en/ Lidiane Jones: Integral Ad Science CEO, Photo Credit: Pamela Hanson The appointment reflects IAS's long-term strategic vision for the future of digital advertising. As AI transforms how media is planned, bought, measured, and optimized, advertisers increasingly need trusted intelligence to make real-time decisions. Jones's deep expertise across product, technology, and AI uniquely positions IAS to bu
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