The search for the recipients of Prince Wiliam’s £50M Earthshot prize has begun, with more than 100 nominating partners spanning every corner of the Earth and seven continents today invited to submit nominations for the first ever winners of most prestigious environment prize in history.
Launched on 8th October by Prince William and a global coalition of individuals, businesses and organisations, The Earthshot Prize aims to find new solutions to the world’s biggest environmental problems.
Dubbed ‘the green Nobel Prize’ nominees can be individuals, communities, businesses and organisations whose solutions make the most progress towards achieving the five Earthshots – simple but ambitious goals which if achieved by 2030 will improve life for us all, for generations to come.
The search for the recipients of Prince Wiliam’s £50M Earthshot prize has begun, with more than 100 nominating partners spanning every corner of the Earth and seven continents today invited to submit nominations for the first ever winners of most prestigious environment prize in history. Prince William is pictured at launch of the award
The Duke of Cambridge, 38, has followed in his father Prince Charles’ footsteps as a passionate campaigner to live in a greener world, with him recently saying he ‘gets upset and is kept awake at night by politicians’ failure to act over climate change.
In a conversation with environmental campaigners, he said: ‘That is what I get most troubled about.
‘Especially as I’m in a position of responsibility if you like, or leadership. I feel I can do a lot more if given that ability.
‘So therefore I don’t understand why those who have the levers, don’t. I think that’s what really upsets me and keeps me awake at night.’
The launch of the Prize comes after two years of work by Prince William and The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to develop a project which will support the global effort to protect and restore the environment.
Every year from 2021 until 2030, Prince William, alongside The Earthshot Prize Council, will award The Earthshot Prize to five winners, one per Earthshot. Together, the five Earthshots, – ‘Protect and restore nature’, ‘Clean our air’, ‘Revive our oceans’, ‘Build a waste-free world’ and ‘Fix our climate’ – form a unique set of challenges rooted in science, which aim to generate new ways of thinking, as well as new technologies, systems, policies and solutions.
Nominations opening today is just the first-step in a five step process which will include screening, a shortlist, and selection, with the prizes awarded each year in different cities across the globe between 2021 and 2030.
The process has been designed in partnership with the Centre for Public Impact and a range of international experts.
The Duke of Cambridge, 38, has followed in his father Prince Charles’ footsteps as a passionate campaigner to live in a greener world, with him recently saying he ‘gets upset and is kept awake at night by politicians’ failure to act over climate change . He is pictured last week with wife Kate Middleton
Screening will begin from February as part of an independent assessment process run by Deloitte, ahead of shortlisted solutions being subject to a final evaluation including in-person or virtual site visits and meetings in early summer.
A distinguished panel of experts will support the judging process, making recommendations to the Earthshot Prize Council who will select the final winners ahead of the annual award ceremony, the first of which will take place in London in 2021.
The Earthshot Prize’s nominators have been selected for their ability to identify the most impactful solutions to the five Earthshot challenges across all countries and sectors, from grassroots to businesses.
After the awards, each winner will receive a global platform and prestigious profile, with their stories being showcased over the decade and the ambition that their solutions lead to mass adoption, replication and scaling.
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The £1 million in prize money will support environmental and conservation projects that are agreed with the winners. Shortlisted nominees will also be given tailored support and opportunities to help scale their work, including being connected with an ecosystem of likeminded individuals and organisations.
Jason Knauf, CEO of The Royal Foundation, said: ‘The search is on for the visionaries who will show us how to repair our planet.
‘The Earthshot Prize nominators are an unprecedented coalition of NGOs, academics, and leaders who will be looking for inspiring innovators at all levels of society – from local communities through to the biggest players in the global economy.
‘The Earthshot Prize is for everyone and our nominators are uniquely placed to help us make this a truly inclusive, diverse, and ambitious mission. Prince William and The Royal Foundation are incredibly grateful for the huge response to the Earthshot launch. We cannot wait to find our first winners.’
Marion Kamau, Chair of the Board of The Green Belt Movement, said: ‘We are delighted to be a Partner of The Earthshot Prize and to be part of a global network of organisations submitting nominees to the Prize.
‘We shall be using our local and global networks, programmes and projects, which possess valuable conservation knowledge that can help us tackle environmental challenges.
‘With 43 years’ experience the Green Belt Movement has built a significant network that remains truly rooted at the grassroots. Through our partnership with The Earthshot Prize, we want to revitalise optimism not only in Kenya but globally.’
Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities, said: ‘The climate emergency is the biggest threat to our shared life on this planet.
‘The scale and ambition of The Earthshot Prize rises to this challenge with urgency, positivity and hope – all vital in this make-or-break decade of climate action. We know from years of experience that cities are hubs of exciting innovation at the forefront of climate action.
Prince William has launched most prestigious global environment prize in history, as the five challenges at heart of The Earthshot Prize are unveiled. Pictured, with Sir David Attenborough
‘As a proud Global Alliance Partner of The Earthshot Prize, C40 Cities will put forward nominations for the most ground-breaking, equitable and impactful solutions benefiting city residents worldwide, for the preservation of our planet and our livelihoods.’
Shuang Zhang, Executive Director and CEO of Paradise International Foundation, said: ‘We are proud to be a Global Alliance Partner of The Earthshot Prize.
‘As the search for winners of the Prize commences, we will use our experience in the conservation of natural lands and waters to submit impactful nominations for the Prize, drawing on our wide network of people in China and around the world, who are making a valuable contribution to protecting our planet.’
Over the course of the next decade, The Earthshot Prize will find and highlight the most inspiring solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. But the Prize is about much more than awarding achievement – it is a decade of action to convene the environmental world with funders, businesses and individuals to maximise impact and take solutions to scale, to celebrate the people and places driving change; and to inspire people all over the world to work together to repair the planet.
