An algae alternative to plastic packaging and the transformation of carbon dioxide into rock were among the environmental innovations that won the Prince of Wales’s Earthshot Prize.
The winners of the prestigious award, aimed at discovering solutions that repair and regenerate the planet, were announced during a glittering “green” carpet in the US city of Boston.
Each receives £1m to scale up their pioneering projects in an effort to ensure a stable climate.
There were over a thousand entries for this year’s awards, which were selected from 15 finalists from 10 countries by a judging panel that included prince williamSir David Attenborough, actress Cate Blanchett, footballer Dani Alves, Fijian climate activist Ernest Gibson, Alibaba founder Jack Ma and singer Shakira.
The five Ground hit the awards are based on the key environmental challenges facing the planet.
The 2022 winners were:
Clean our air:
Pic: Earthshot Award
Mukuru Clean Stoves, Kenya – A start-up providing cleaner stoves to women in Kenya to reduce unhealthy indoor pollution and provide a safer way to cook.
Founder and CEO Charlot Magayi said, “Mukuru Clean Stoves was born as a solution to a problem I had personally felt in my life.
“Today we have the opportunity to transform the lives of millions of people, with cheaper, safer and more sustainable stoves and fuels.
“It is a privilege to be recognized by The Earthshot Prize as we embark on the next phase of our journey.”
Protect and restore nature:
Pic: Earthshot Award
Kheyti, India – The company has designed a pioneering Greenhouse-in-a-Box to help smallholder farmers reduce costs, increase yields and protect livelihoods by providing shelter from unpredictable weather conditions and destructive pests in communities in first line in climate change.
Co-founder and CEO Kaushik Kappagantulu said: “The world depends on its small farmers and yet their lives are some of the hardest on earth.
“Our Greenhouse-in-a-Box is empowering farmers in India today.
“The steps we have already taken in Kheyti are now building to change the lives of farmers on a large scale.”
Revive our oceans:
Pic: Earthshot Award
Indigenous Women of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia – Innovative scheme is helping to develop a next-generation network of women rangers by drawing on generations of traditional knowledge and technologies, such as drones, to help protect and restore natural habitat.
Chief Executive Larissa Hale said: “This place has always been our home, but today we are in danger of losing it and the unique culture that has existed for millennia.
“Our network of female rangers exists to protect our home and continue our traditions.
“We’ve made great first steps, but we still have a long way to go.”
Build a world without waste:
Pic: Land shot
Notpla, UK – London entrepreneurs have developed a plant and seaweed-based alternative to plastic that can be used to create a range of packaging products, such as bubble wrap to contain liquids, a liner for food containers and a card for the cosmetic and fashion industry.
Co-founder and CEO Pierre Paslier said: “Fourteen million tons of plastic enter our oceans every year.
“We founded Notpla when we discovered that the solution also lies in our oceans.
“We are already replacing the plastic plaguing our seas and working with seaweed farms that give back to the local environment and economy.
“Thank you for recognizing us as we take our next big step and permanently eliminate single-use plastics.”
Fix our climate:
Pic: Earthshot Award
44.01, Oman – The company has created an innovative technique for turning carbon dioxide into rock and storing it permanently without the need for long-term monitoring, while providing new employment for engineers and geologists working in the fossil fuel industry .
Founder Talal Hasan said, “The answers to the problems facing our planet are often found in the natural world.
“At 44.01, we found a natural process that removes carbon and accelerated it.
“We believe this process is globally replicable and may play a key role in helping our planet heal.”
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The Princess of Wales showed off her eco-credentials wearing a striking green dress rented at the awards ceremony, where guests were encouraged to dress sustainably.
The royal couple were joined by celebrities including Hollywood actor Rami Malek and former England football captain David Beckham, while artists performing on the night were Billie EilishAnnie Lennox, Ellie Goulding and Beyonce’s protectors Chloe x Halle.
The awards ceremony was the culmination of a three-day visit by the royal couple to Boston that was overshadowed by a race row which saw William’s godmother, Lady Susan Hussey, step down as royal aide after repeatedly questioning a prominent head of British-born black domestic abuse charity about where she “really came from”.
A trailer promoting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix documentary series was released on Thursday, with the timing seen by some royal commentators as an affront to William and Kate.
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Prince William meets Joe Biden
Earlier, William met with US President Joe Biden following the King’s visit to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and held a 30-minute discussion that a Kensington Palace spokesman described as “heartfelt , friendly and concrete”.
The spokesperson said Biden wanted to know about the Earthshot initiative and the finalists.
The award was inspired by the 1960s Moonshot challenge set by then-President Kennedy with the goal of putting a person on the moon within a decade.
It is the second series of Earthshot awards to be presented, with the first awards being awarded last year.
Presenting the Clean Our Air award to Mukuru Clean Stoves, Kate told Earthshot guests: “Breathing clean air is something many of us take for granted, but sadly for millions of people around the world it is not.
“From the smoke enveloping cities to the impact seen in nature, air pollution poses a threat that knows no borders.
“Heartbreakingly, over 250 million children under five breathe polluted air every single day. And that fact is even harder to hear, because we know the significant impact pollution has on our development throughout our lives.”
Closing the event, William told the audience, “I believe the Earthshot solutions you saw tonight demonstrate that we can overcome our planet’s greatest challenges.
“And by supporting and scaling them, we can change our future.
“Alongside tonight’s winners and finalists and those to be discovered in the years to come, I hope Earthshot’s legacy continues to grow, helping our communities and planet thrive.”
