The Earthshot Prize 2024: What You Need to Know

The very best innovations and inventions that are working towards the regeneration of our ecosystems and saving lives were placed front and centre at The Earthshot Prize 2024! Here’s what to know about this prestigious event.

What is The Earthshot Prize and How Does it Work?

It’s no secret that our world is in dire straits on the environmental front, with climate change not only impacting our natural world but also negatively affecting many people and communities.

In an effort to encourage solutions, The Earthshot Prize was created. Launched by Prince William in 2020, The Earthshot Prize travels around the globe in search of innovations that will help us repair and regenerate our planet in the next decade.

After 5,342 nominations and 60 finalists, the very best five solutions of the year will each receive a £1 million reward to scale their work and make an even bigger impact.

There are five categories – or Earthshots – that were developed with leading environmental experts as goals to aim for before irreversible damage happens.

What are the Five Earthshots for 2030?

Protect and Restore Nature

The Protect and Restore Nature category aims to rehabilitate and preserve the habitats that wildlife need to live – from rainforests and grasslands, to wetlands, lakes, and rivers. One of the finalists in this category is Nature Metrics, a company that improves biodiversity monitoring and nature impact reporting.

Clean Our Air

So many people around the world are breathing in toxic air on a daily basis, negatively impacting their health. In fact, according to the UN Environment Programme, air pollution is the greatest environmental threat to public health and accounts for eight million premature deaths annually.

To combat this and help more people breathe clean air, The Earthshot Prize has recognised GAYO, one of the finalists in the Clean Our Air category, for their work in providing solutions to environmental issues through youth empowerment and skills development.

Revive Our Oceans

Coral reefs are vanishing, and many species that call the ocean home are disappearing. Meeting the challenge of the dwindling health of our oceans needs to be a top priority! Many organisations are working hard to offset the damages brought by warmer temperatures, pollution, and harmful fishing practices.

One organisation that’s been recognised by The Earthshot Prize in the Revive Our Oceans category is MiAlgae, a biotechnology company producing omega-3-rich microalgae grown using by-products from whisky distillation.

Build a Waste-Free World

From single-use plastics to food waste, many societies’ throw-away lifestyles are damaging our planet. The need for solutions to this is great!

Thankfully, organisations are rising to the challenge, such as Green Spot Technologies, nominated in the Build a Waste-Free World category. Their product, Ferment’Up, uses the process of fermentation to change commercial food waste into nutritious alternative ingredients.

Fix Our Climate

Cutting out carbon and reducing greenhouse gases is an essential part of saving our planet from future environmental disasters.

In the Fix Our Climate category of The Earthshot Prize, pioneering organisations making an impact on climate change have been nominated, including Build Up Nepal.

Providing a sustainable, resilient, and low-carbon alternative to traditional clay-fired bricks, Build Up Nepal is helping people build eco-friendly, earthquake-resilient homes.

How Can You Watch The Earthshot Prize 2024?

The Earthshot Prize 2024 award ceremony was held in Cape Town, South Africa, at The Earthshot Prize Dome, a purpose-built venue beside Cape Town Stadium, on the 6th of November.

Hosted by singer and actor, Billy Porter, and media personality, Bonang Matheba, the event included performances by Davido, Diamond Platnumz, and the Ndlovu Youth Choir. High-profile guests such as Heidi Klum and Nina Dobrev presented awards to the winners.

You can watch the event on The Earthshot Prize YouTube channel.