The Earthshot Prize, launched in 2020, has chosen the first five prize winners, and a series has been filmed to highlight the causes repairing the Earth.
GlobalPrizeOctober 2021) – In October 2020, Prince William launched the most prestigious global environment prize in history, The Earthshot Prize. The international prize highlights five disciplines, and winners in each will receive a total of £1 Million. The project will run over the course of the next decade, meaning a total of £50 Million will be given to causes working to repair the Earth.
The launch came after two years of work by Prince William and The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to develop a project which will support the global effort to protect and restore the environment. In addition to identifying evidence-based solutions to the most significant environmental problems the planet faces, The Earthshot Prize aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism that we can rise to the biggest challenges of our time.
The Earthshot Prize is the biggest initiative from both Prince William and The Royal Foundation and was first introduced on 31st December 2019. Since then, a global coalition of individuals, businesses and organisations has been established to maximise the impact of the Prize.
The five Earthshots are:
- Protect and restore nature
- Clean our air
- Revive our oceans
- Build a waste-free world
- Fix our climate
Each Earthshot is underpinned by scientifically agreed targets, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and other internationally recognised measures to help repair our planet. Together, they form a unique set of challenges rooted in science, which aim to generate new ways of thinking, as well as new technologies, systems, policies and solutions.
Every year from 2021 until 2030, Prince William, alongside The Earthshot Prize Council, which covers six continents, will award The Earthshot Prize to five winners, one per Earthshot.
“We are thrilled to announce the upcoming premiere of the five-part television series The Earthshot Prize: Repairing our Planet launching today on discovery+ and premiering on 16th October on Discovery in U.S with a global rollout to follow. The series will also air at 6:05pm on BBC One in the UK with all 5 episodes available to view tonight on BBC iPlayer.
The inspiring five-part documentary series is led by Prince William, the founder of The Earthshot Prize, and features Earthshot Prize Council Members Sir David Attenborough, Dani Alves, Shakira Mebarak, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Naoko Yamazaki and Christiana Figueres.
Each episode of the five-part series highlights one of the Prize’s five “Earthshots” – showcasing the urgent challenges we face and profiling the inspiring people around the world who are already finding incredible solutions – including those of the first-ever Finalists of The Earthshot Prize. These remarkable Finalists and their ground-breaking solutions to our greatest environmental challenges are explored – highlighting some of the most extraordinary practical projects that can be rolled out across the world.
With filming in more than 70 locations, telling stories from locations including the Kenyan savannah, Brazilian rainforest, Australian outback and downtown Tokyo. The series has been developed and produced by Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes at Silverback Films; the creative heads behind the phenomenally successful documentary ‘David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet’ and long-time advisors to The Earthshot Prize.
Take a look at the trailer for the upcoming series below. We are excited to learn more about the prize winners and the ways they are repairing the world.