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Royal News

Prince William is off to Brazil for the 2025 Earthshot Prize

Prince William, wearing a blue pullover and blue shirt, looks into the camera for a close up portrait

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.

Prince William sits on a tree root
Kensington Palace

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.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Editor in Chief at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra.Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024.June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station.June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.