The launch 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. Since then, a global coalition of individuals, businesses and organisations has been established to maximise the impact of the prize – a coalition that will continue to grow over the coming months and years.
The five Earthshots are:
Each Earthshot is underpinned by scientifically agreed targets including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and other internationally recognised measures to help repair the planet. Together, they 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.
A series of five short films have been released, bringing each Earthshot to life. Produced by Silverback Films, the films are narrated by young climate activists including Bindi and Robert Irwin.
Prizes could be awarded to a wide range of individuals, teams or collaborations – scientists, activists, economists, community projects, leaders, governments, banks, businesses, cities, and countries – anyone whose workable solutions make a substantial contribution to achieving the Earthshots. Every year from 2021 until 2030, Prince William, alongside the Earthshot Prize Council, which covers six continents, will award the Earthshot Prize to five winners, one per Earthshot.
'Harness our ingenuity and our ability to invent'
During the film, Prince William will say: “The plan is to really galvanise and bring together the best minds, the best possible solutions, to fixing and tackling some of the world’s greatest environmental challenges. We’ve got to harness our ingenuity and our ability to invent. The next ten years are a critical decade for change. Time is of the essence, which is why we believe that this very ambitious global prize is the only way forward.”
Nominations will open on 1 November, with over 100 nominating partners from across the world being invited to submit nominations of those individuals, communities, businesses and organisations who could win the Earthshot Prize.
The five-stage prize process to select a winner for each Earthshot has been designed in partnership with the Centre for Public Impact and a range of international experts. Nominations will be screened as part of an independent assessment process run by Deloitte, the initiative's implementation partner. A panel of experts will support the judging process, making recommendations to the Prize Council who will select the final winners.
An awards ceremony will take place in different cities across the world each year between 2021 and 2030, at which the five winners for each of the Earthshots will be selected from 15 finalists. The first awards ceremony will take place in London in autumn 2021.
For more information, go to www.earthshotprize.org
