Leaders, activists, innovators, an entire country: 15 Earthshot Prize finalists announced

Described as 'truly global project' that's 'an urgent call to action to the world' The Earthshot Prize has announced its 15 inaugural finalists – and the line up couldn't be more impressive.

Launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in October 2020 the prize searches for the most inspiring and innovative solutions to the greatest environmental challenges facing the planet.

The 15 finalists – whittled down from more than 750 nominations across every continent and including leaders, activists, innovators, a city and even an entire country – were chosen by The Earthshot Prize Council. The Council is a diverse panel which includes leading figures in the world of climate and environmental action such as Sir David Attenborough, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Christiana Figueres and Luisa Neubauer.

Five of the finalists will win £1million in prize funding for the best solutions of the five Earthshot goals: Protect and Restore Nature; Clean our Air; Revive our Oceans; Build a Waste-free World; and Fix our Climate.

They will be announced at the prize's inaugural ceremony on 17th October in London, broadcast by BBC and Discovery globally.

On the prize Prince William said: "Over half a century ago, President Kennedy’s ‘Moonshot’ programme united millions of people around the goal of reaching the moon. Inspired by this, The Earthshot Prize aims to mobilise collective action around our unique ability to innovate, problem solve and repair our planet.

“I am honoured to introduce the 15 innovators, leaders, and visionaries who are the first ever Finalists for The Earthshot Prize. They are working with the urgency required in this decisive decade for life on Earth and will inspire all of us with their optimism in our ability to rise to the greatest challenges in human history.”

Over the next 10 years the prize will discover 50 winners 'with the power to repair the planet'.

This year's finalists are listed below.