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The Prince of Wales has lauded the finalists of his Earthshot Prize as “heroes of our time,” recognizing their significant contributions to environmental innovation.
Prince William is scheduled to attend the awards ceremony next month in Rio de Janeiro, marking the first time the event has been held in Latin America. The Earthshot Prize, established by the Prince five years ago, annually grants £1 million to five projects demonstrating pioneering environmental solutions.
This year, nearly 2,500 nominations were received from 72 countries. The winners will be selected by Prince William and the Earthshot Prize Council, which includes prominent figures such as actress Cate Blanchett and Queen Rania of Jordan.
The diverse group of finalists for this year’s prize includes initiatives ranging from those in Caribbean nations to small start-up businesses.
The Earthshot Prize, a decade-long endeavor, has previously held ceremonies in London, Boston, Singapore, and Cape Town.
Kensington Palace announced earlier this year that the main awards ceremony will take place at Rio de Janeiro’s Museum of Tomorrow on November 5th.
Barbados has been nominated for its global leadership in addressing climate change, with the island nation striving to become fossil-fuel-free by 2030.
The Chinese city of Guangzhou has been shortlisted in the “Clean our Air” category for its efforts in electrifying its public transport system.
Prince William has previously expressed his desire to bring the Earthshot Prize to China.
Additionally, what is being touted as the world’s first fully “upcycled skyscraper” has also made it to the final list.
Sydney’s Quay Quarter Tower, originally one of thousands of 20th-century towers reaching the end of their lifecycles, was creatively repurposed.
Instead of demolition, which generates significant carbon emissions and waste, a collaboration of architects, engineers, building contractors, and developers effectively “upcycled” the original structure.
“Matter,” a Bristol-based business, stands as the sole British finalist in the lineup.
The company has engineered a filter for washing machines designed to capture the primary source of microplastics polluting our oceans.
Adam Root, the founder of Matter, likened winning an Earthshot Prize to “winning an Olympic gold medal.”
In a video message released to coincide with the announcement of this year’s finalists, Prince William reflected on the past five years.
“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,” Prince William stated.
“But today, as we stand halfway through this critical decade, 2030 feels very real.”
“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.”
He further emphasized: “The people behind these projects are heroes of our time, so 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 Earthshot Prize has become a cornerstone of Prince William’s public endeavors.
“He has been able to build an unprecedented network of organisations,” remarked Jason Knauf, the new CEO of the Earthshot Prize.
“The philanthropists working together, the corporates that come together as part of the Earthshot prize community, the leaders who get involved.”
“There’s never been a group of people working together on a single environment project in the way they have with the Earthshot Prize. Prince William has been completely relentless in building that network.”
This year’s Earthshot Prize events in Rio precede the COP Climate Conference, scheduled to be held in Belem on the edge of the Amazon Rainforest.
Timothy Juckes laid a leaky pipe into the river in order to pump slurry to a storage lagoon.
Residents are being encouraged to increase nature in their communities and protect the environment.
Local people claim they have already seen a plume coming from a new plant.
Work is ongoing to clear Yorkshire’s rivers of barriers that prevent fish from moving freely.
Scottish government says it’s investigating but concerned locals fear enormous damage has been caused
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