Prince William’s Earthshot Prize unveils 15 finalists for £1 million awards

Prince William’s Earthshot Prize has announced 15 finalists for its 2024 edition, selected from nearly 2,500 nominations spanning 139 countries.

These innovators are tackling urgent climate challenges and are in contention for five prestigious £1 million prizes.

Notably, this year marks the first-time finalists hail from France, Ghana, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Nepal.

Speaking on the selection of finalists, Prince William, Founder and President of The Earthshot Prize, expressed his admiration, stating, “Today, we celebrate the remarkable achievements and urgent optimism driving our fourth class of Earthshot innovators. Their passion illustrates the tremendous creativity and ingenuity within communities worldwide.

“These finalists are leading efforts to address some of the most pressing environmental issues, inspiring hope and action as we work towards a sustainable future for generations to come.”

The finalists’ solutions align with five key Earthshot goals: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate. Among the standout projects are:

• Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance, Ecuador: An alliance of 30 indigenous nations protecting 86 million acres of critical rainforest, advocating for a regenerative bioeconomy.
• NatureMetrics, UK: A global intelligence startup specializing in environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, aiming to make biodiversity monitoring accessible.
• Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, Kazakhstan: An organization achieving the rapid recovery of endangered large animals.

In the Clean Our Air category, finalists include:

• GAYO Ghana: A youth-led organization implementing a “zero waste model” to improve waste management practices across Africa, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and pollution while generating income for communities.
• d.light, Pan-Africa: A successful company providing affordable solar home systems, poised to transform the lives of one billion people by replacing polluting kerosene lamps.
• MYCL, Indonesia: A company addressing crop-waste burning and harmful leather production, both major sources of air pollution.

Finalists in the Revive Our Oceans category are:

• High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, Global: A coalition of 119 countries aiming to protect 30% of land and oceans by 2030, identifying gaps in technical and financial support.
• MiAlgae, UK: A company offering a circular economy solution for sourcing marine Omega-3s without depleting wild fish stocks.
• Coast 4C, Philippines: A social enterprise focused on building the largest supply of regenerative seaweed, aiding marginalized fishing communities.

In the Build a Waste-Free World category:

• Natural Fiber Welding, USA: A company creating biodegradable fibers to replace plastics across various industries.
• Ferment’Up, France: A company upcycling food waste into nutritious ingredients through dry fermentation, drastically reducing carbon emissions.
• Keep It Cool, Kenya: A business addressing cold-chain logistics across Africa with solar-powered refrigeration solutions, reducing post-harvest waste.

For the Fix Our Climate category, finalists include:

• Equatic, USA: An early-stage company using seawater electrolysis to remove carbon dioxide from the ocean at unprecedented rates.
• Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems, USA: A company converting industrial heat waste into electricity.
• Build Up Nepal, Nepal: A social enterprise creating earthquake-resilient bricks with significantly lower carbon emissions.

The five winners will be chosen by Prince William and members of the esteemed Earthshot Prize Council, including Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Cate Blanchett, Sir David Attenborough, and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The winners of the 2024 Earthshot Prize will be revealed at the fourth Earthshot Prize Awards on November 6 in Cape Town, South Africa. This event, part of Earthshot Week, will gather global leaders, investors, and NGOs to explore opportunities with the finalists and winners.

In addition to the £1 million prizes, each finalist will receive dedicated mentorship, resources, and technical support through the Earthshot Prize Fellowship Programme, providing access to a network of businesses, investors, and climate experts, as well as Launchpad, Earthshot’s innovative finance platform to help scale proven environmental solutions.