Prince William Unveils 2023 Earthshot Finalists: Discover the Game Changers Impressing the Future King
Prince William unveils the 2023 Earthshot finalists, a group of 15 brilliant innovators competing for the prestigious eco-prize Five £1 million grants await the winners across various Earthshot categories
The Prince of Wales has announced the list of 15 innovators who are vying for five grants worth £1 million ($1.2 million) each from his esteemed eco-prize.
Prince William traveled to New York on Monday for a two-day trip where he participated in the second Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit. This event aligned with Climate Week NYC and the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and served as the platform for revealing the finalists.
The 41-year-old prince and his Royal Foundation introduced the Earthshot Prize in 2020, aiming to find innovative climate solutions to restore our planet by 2030. This year, 15 candidates from six continents have been chosen from a pool of over 1,100 nominees. These individuals have gone through a meticulous evaluation conducted by a global panel of scientific and academic experts.
The award winners, in its third year, will be announced at a ceremony in Singapore on November 7. The prize money will be utilized to assist the changemakers in expanding their environmentally-friendly solutions. Additionally, all finalists will have access to mentorship resources and support through a year-long fellowship program called Earthshot Prize Fellowship, aiming to accelerate the development of their groundbreaking solutions.
The inspiration for launching his environmental scheme came from President John F. Kennedy's 1962 "moonshot" speech, which challenged the United States to advance space exploration. The competition revolves around five environmental goals known as "Earthshots": "Protecting and Restoring Nature," "Cleaning Our Air," "Reviving Our Oceans," "Building a Waste-Free World," and "Fixing Our Climate." Each Earthshot has three finalists, and one winner is chosen for each category.
Prince William speaks with kids as he visits Billion Oyster Project in New York City on Monday.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images
Upon touching down at Newark Airport on Monday, the Prince of Wales said it was good to be back in the US.
"No one excels in optimism and ingenuity quite like the American people, making it fitting that we reveal this year's Earthshot finalists in New York City," remarked William.
"(Eighty) years back, the globe united in this magnificent city to discover a fresh approach, through the UN, for resolving our common obstacles," continued the prince.
The five Earthshot categories and finalists are:
Our generation has the capability to courageously tackle the necessary measures for achieving a thriving and environmentally friendly world. Although the task may seem daunting, we draw inspiration from John F. Kennedy, who demonstrated that we embrace challenges not because they are simple, but because they are arduous. Moreover, they are indispensable for our collective progress.Protect and Restore Nature
Accion Andina - Peru: A grassroots project working across South America to protect native forest ecosystems across the Andes.
Freetown - The Green Capital of Sierra Leone: A tree conservation initiative led by the Freetown City Council to preserve the natural habitat in the capital city.
Belterra - Reviving Brazil's Forests: A pioneering start-up collaborating with local farmers to rejuvenate forests and restore degraded lands through sustainable farming techniques.
Clean Our Air
Polish Smog Alert - Poland: A campaigning group working to encourage policy change and improve the air quality across Poland.
Enso, a company based in the United Kingdom, has successfully created an environmentally friendly tire specifically designed for electric vehicles. Their tire innovation aims to decrease tire pollution and contribute towards the reduction of air pollution.
In Hong Kong, a promising startup named GRST has made significant advancements in the production and recycling of lithium-ion batteries. Their groundbreaking process not only enhances the efficiency of battery manufacturing but also sets the stage for the development of even more eco-friendly electric cars in the future.
Revive Our Oceans
Abalobi, based in South Africa, is a social enterprise organization that adopts a data-driven approach to assist small fishing communities in becoming more resilient and sustainable.
Coastal 500 - A worldwide network of mayors and local leaders dedicated to restoring ocean habitats and advocating for coastal protections, with its headquarters based in the United States.
WildAid Marine Program - A non-profit organization based in the United States, aiming to address the ocean conservation needs of the planet through collaborative partnerships and sharing knowledge.
S4S Technologies - India is an agritech start-up that utilizes solar-powered dehydration equipment to reduce food waste and aid farmers in transforming surplus crops into products that have an extended shelf life.
Circ Inc. - US: A company that has innovated a method for recycling polycotton back into its raw materials, thereby enabling its reuse and minimizing textile waste.
Colorifix - UK: Dedicated to minimizing water and chemical usage in the fashion industry, this company harnesses natural organism-derived colors and employs online DNA sequencing to produce sustainable pigments and dyes.
Sea Forest, an Australian biotech company, has developed a seaweed-based livestock feed that effectively minimizes the emission of methane pollution from cattle and sheep. This innovation not only contributes to sustainable farming practices but also promotes the well-being of marine ecosystems.
Aquacycl - US: Aquacycl's team utilizes microbial technology to enhance the efficiency, accessibility, and environmental friendliness of industrial wastewater treatment.
Boomitra - Global with US-based headquarters: By establishing a soil carbon marketplace, Boomitra effectively reduces emissions and improves farmers' profitability by incentivizing land restoration.
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