Earthshot Prize 2025 Unveiled: Winners Celebrate Environmental Innovations in Rio

Thu Nov 06 2025 16:57:01 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Prince William announces the winners of the 2025 Earthshot Prize in Rio de Janeiro, honoring projects aimed at tackling global environmental challenges.

The 2025 Earthshot Prize winners were revealed by Prince William in Rio de Janeiro, featuring innovative projects that include a tropical forest restoration initiative and a global ocean treaty. Each winning project receives £1 million to implement its solutions to climate issues. High-profile attendees and performers highlight the importance of collective action for environmental change.

A project to restore tropical forests and a global ocean treaty initiative are among the winners of this year's Earthshot Prize.

The winners, named at an awards ceremony in Brazil on Wednesday, will each be given £1m to scale up their projects to repair the climate.

The Prince of Wales, who founded the global environmental award in 2020, said the winners were an inspiration and proof that progress is possible.

Brazilian football legend Cafu, Olympian Rebeca Andrade and former Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel were among the presenters, while pop stars Kylie Minogue and Shawn Mendes performed at the ceremony in Rio de Janeiro's Museum of Tomorrow.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, and London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan were also in attendance.

Prince William, who is the president of the prize, told the audience that he had founded the award to ensure this decade is one of transformation for our world.

He said, We set out to tackle environmental issues head on and make real, lasting changes that would protect life on Earth. The prize was inspired by former US President John F Kennedy's Moonshot project, which aimed to safely take astronauts to the Moon and back.

This year, nearly 2,500 nominees were submitted from 72 countries. Of these, 15 finalists were selected, and five winners emerged.

The five categories for the Earthshot Prize are Protect and Restore Nature; Clean Our Air; Revive Our Oceans; Build a Waste-Free World; and Fix Our Climate.

Protect and Restore Nature: re.green, in Brazil, is making protecting one of the world's most important ecosystems, the Atlantic Forest, financially viable.
Clean Our Air: Bogotá has shown how public policy can bring lasting change, through clean air zones and re-greening degraded areas.
Revive Our Oceans: The High Seas Treaty will set global measures to conserve marine life, impacting from January 2026.
Build a Waste-Free World: Lagos Fashion Week is redefining the industry by requiring designers to demonstrate sustainable practices.
Fix Our Climate: Friendship helps communities in Bangladesh with access to public services and disaster preparedness.

Chief executive of re.green, Thiago Picolo, stated that winning the Protect & Restore Nature prize validates their efforts and facilitates necessary conversations with potential partners.

The chair of the board of trustees, Christiana Figueres, emphasized the winners' ambition and their role in building a strong global legacy. Their aims are deeply ambitious, but their impact fuels optimism, she stated.

You can read more about Prince William's ongoing efforts in climate advocacy, including his speech on Amazon deforestation, by following updates from this historic event.