The Prince of Wales will present the 2025 Earthshot prize in Brazil.
Prince William will travel to Rio de Janeiro in November for the ceremony which recognises projects supporting and enhancing the natural world through environmental innovation.
It’s the first time that the Earthshot ceremony will be held in Latin America.
The Princess of Wales won’t be going to Brazil with her husband. Kate has said she will continue to prioritise her health after being treated for cancer.
Earthshot was first awarded in 2021 and is part of a ten year project. Winning entries get a prize of £1 million each to further develop their environmental idea.
To launch this year’s prize giving, Prince William was photographed under a tree and said ”I sat under this oak tree five years ago, soon after we launched The Earthshot Prize. The planet, the only home we have, needed our help, as scientists made it clear that we had to make significant changes by 2030.”
His children were on his mind as he noted ”Back then, a
decade felt a long time. George was seven, Charlotte five and Louis
two;
the thought of them in 2030 felt a lifetime away. But today, as we
stand halfway through this critical decade, 2030 feels very
real. The Earthshot Prize was founded because this decade
matters. 2030 is a threshold by which future generations will judge
us; it is the point at which our actions, or lack of them, will
have shaped forever the trajectory of our planet.”
The Prince of Wales also revealed all the finalists for this year’s prize, calling them ”heroes of our time” and adding ”let us back them. Because, if we do, we can make the world cleaner, safer and full of opportunity – not only for future generations, but for the lives we want to lead now.”
The finalists include Barbados which is recognised for its work
to become fossil-free by 2030 and ‘‘is creating billions of
dollars
of impact on the global stage to support other Large Ocean
States.”
The world’s first fully upcycled skyscraper, Quay Quarter Tower, is nominated for ”avoiding the carbon disaster that is demolition and construction, transforming a building into a world-class facility.”
Meanwhile, British company, Matter, is a finalist for its work
on a washing machine filter which takes out ”the greatest
cause
of microplastics in our ocean”.
During his time in Brazil, Prince William will also attend engagements linked to The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife programme.
