Prince William, heir to the British throne, hosted the 2025 Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, recognizing five groundbreaking projects aimed at combating climate change. The annual prize, founded by William in 2020, celebrates innovative solutions to environmental challenges and provides each winner with £1 million to scale their impact. The event, held at the Museum of Tomorrow, drew a distinguished audience including Brazilian football legend Cafu, Olympian Rebeca Andrade, former Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel, and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Performances by pop stars Kylie Minogue and Shawn Mendes added to the celebratory atmosphere.
Recognizing Climate Innovation
The Earthshot Prize is inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s “Moonshot” project, which spurred a national effort to land a man on the Moon. Similarly, the Earthshot Prize focuses on five core goals—Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate—aiming to achieve tangible results within this decade. This year’s selection process saw nearly 2,500 nominations from 72 countries, showcasing the global surge in climate action.
The 2025 Winners
Here’s a look at the five organizations awarded the 2025 Earthshot Prize and their impactful work:
- Protect and Restore Nature: re.green (Brazil) is working to financially incentivize the protection of the Atlantic Forest, one of the world’s most vital ecosystems.
- Clean Our Air: The city of Bogotá (Colombia) demonstrated how public policies—such as clean air zones and re-greening initiatives—can foster lasting improvements in air quality.
- Revive Our Oceans: The High Seas Treaty is a global ocean initiative that establishes clear measures for marine life conservation, slated to take effect in January 2026.
- Build a Waste-Free World: Lagos Fashion Week (Nigeria) is redefining the fashion industry by requiring designers to demonstrate a commitment to sustainable practices.
- Fix Our Climate: Friendship is dedicated to assisting vulnerable communities in Bangladesh with critical needs, including access to services, healthcare, education, and disaster preparedness.
“Winning a prize like this is validation for us, helps us know we’re going in the right direction, facilitates conversations we need to have with banks, capital providers, corporates,” said Thiago Picolo, chief executive of re.green.
A Decade-Long Commitment & A Personal Connection
Prince William has pledged to support the Earthshot Prize for 10 years, with the Rio ceremony marking the midpoint of this ambitious venture. The prince expressed his optimism that these winners and their innovative projects represent a turning point in the fight against climate change. Notably, William visited the Christ the Redeemer statue, recreating a photograph taken by his late mother, Princess Diana, 34 years prior. The Prince’s five-day visit highlighted his dedication to environmental issues, including a speech at the United for Wildlife conference where he criticized criminal involvement in Amazon deforestation and engagement in mangrove conservation efforts in Paqueta Island. He will conclude his trip with a speech at COP30 in the Amazon rainforest.
The Earthshot Prize demonstrates a growing global spirit of collective action and highlights the potential for impactful change in addressing the climate crisis. The winners’ ambitious 2030 aims and their tenacity inspire confidence that a more sustainable future is within reach.
