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
Toluna Appoints Amy Fenton as Chief Executive Officer14.10.2026 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
Toluna, a global leader in consumer insights and market research technology, today announces the appointment of Amy Fenton as Chief Executive Officer, effective October 15, 2026. Ms. Fenton succeeds Frédéric Charles Petit, who founded Toluna and has led the company for 25 years. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261014103169/en/ Amy Fenton appointed as new Chief Executive Officer, Toluna The appointment concludes the structured succession process announced on October 8, 2026, led by the Board in close consultation with Mr. Petit and supported by a leading executive search firm. Ms. Fenton brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the insights and analytics industry. She joins Toluna from MarketCast, where she served as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, after leading the company’s operations, insights, and analytics. Before MarketCast, she was Chief Client Officer, North
BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisors Named Family Business Advisory Practice of the Year at the STEP Private Client Awards for the Fourth Time14.10.2026 16:05:00 EEST | Press release
BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisors ("Banyan") has been named Family Business Advisory Practice of the Year at the 21st annual STEP Private Client Awards, one of the most respected international honors in the private client profession. It is the fourth time Banyan has won the category, following wins in 2018, 2020 and 2021. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261013883351/en/ Kelly Greig, STEP Board Member and Dennis Jaffe, BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisors at the awards ceremony. BanyanGlobal won the Family Business Advisory Practice of the Year at the 21st Annual STEP Private Client Awards. The independent judging panel singled out Banyan's approach: "BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisors has redefined family business advisory by combining governance with helping families build skills and confidence for long-term ownership. Its innovative approach and long-standing client relationships helped make it the s
Telekom Srbija Group Expands AI Investment and Strengthens U.S. Technology Partnerships14.10.2026 16:02:00 EEST | Press release
Following the October 1 agreement between Serbia and the United States to strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), Telekom Srbija Group is expanding its AI investment and deepening relationships with leading U.S. technology companies as part of its strategy to develop the next generation digital services. As part of these efforts, Telekom Srbija Group has engaged with the U.S. State Department, Department of Commerce and Export-Import Bank to explore opportunities for technology cooperation and project financing, with the ambition of becoming a preferred regional partner for U.S. companies. “Artificial intelligence represents one of the greatest opportunities for the future of telecommunications and digital services,” said Vladimir Lučić, CEO of Telekom Srbija Group. “We have been investing in this technology for several years, and our focus is now on accelerating its practical application. By combining AI innovation with our expanding 5G infrastructure and international
Wolters Kluwer names Alberto de Benito Aznar General Manager of Audit & Assurance14.10.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Wolters Kluwer, a global leader in professional information, software solutions and services, today announced the appointment of Alberto de Benito Aznar as General Manager of its Audit & Assurance business, part of the Corporate Performance & ESG division. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261014786222/en/ De Benito Aznar returns to a business and market he knows well. He began his Wolters Kluwer career more than 10 years ago in Corporate Strategy and subsequently led operations for Audit & Assurance before serving most recently as General Manager of Corporate Tax. “Alberto brings a strong combination of strategic, operational and commercial leadership to Audit & Assurance,” said Maria Montenegro, CEO of Corporate Performance & ESG at Wolters Kluwer. “His leadership of Corporate Tax, combined with his previous experience in Audit & Assurance, gives him a valuable perspective as we build on TeamMate’s strong posi
Lenovo Uncovers What Happens When Entrepreneurs Look Beyond Borders for Support14.10.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Today, Lenovo debuts the first episode of its new documentary series from Backing Every Business, its global initiative designed to connect small businesses with the people, technology and support they need to grow and thrive. The series features five businesses participating in Twinning, Lenovo’sprogram that brings small business founders from around the world together, connecting them through mentorship across shared growth goals, access to resources including technology, AI training, funding designed to help address real business challenges and turn new ideas into action. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261014736241/en/ The four-part series follows entrepreneurs from Japan, Mexico, the U.K. and the U.S. as they step inside one another’s businesses, experience unfamiliar industries and cultures and share the knowledge they have gained from building their own businesses. A meeting between strangers evolves in
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