Prince William’s Earthshot Prize 2025 Winners Announced in Rio

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – November 6, 2025: The winners of the 2025 Earthshot Prize were announced at a glittering ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, marking a significant milestone in global efforts to tackle climate change and environmental challenges. Founded by Prince William in 2020, the Earthshot Prize is a decade-long initiative aimed at finding innovative solutions to repair the planet, with each winner receiving £1 million to expand their projects.

Prince William, president of the prize, praised the winners as “an inspiration and proof that progress is possible,” highlighting the global impact of their work. Attendees at the Museum of Tomorrow included Brazilian football legend Cafu, Olympian Rebeca Andrade, former Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel, and pop stars Kylie Minogue and Shawn Mendes, who performed during the event. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan also joined the ceremony.

Earthshot Prize 2025 Winners:

• Protect and Restore Nature: re.green in Brazil works to preserve the Atlantic Forest, one of the world’s most critical ecosystems, while making conservation financially sustainable.

• Clean Our Air: Bogotá, Colombia, demonstrated how public policy can deliver lasting air quality improvements through initiatives such as clean air zones and urban re-greening.

• Revive Our Oceans: The High Seas Treaty, a global ocean initiative effective from January 2026, will set measures to conserve marine biodiversity and strengthen international cooperation on ocean protection.

• Build a Waste-Free World: Lagos Fashion Week in Nigeria is redefining fashion sustainability, requiring designers to commit to eco-friendly practices, thereby reducing waste in the industry.

• Fix Our Climate: Friendship, an initiative in Bangladesh, focuses on helping vulnerable communities access health, education, and disaster preparedness resources to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Thiago Picolo, CEO of re.green, described winning the Protect & Restore Nature prize as “validation” for the organization and emphasized its importance for conversations with banks, corporates, and investors. Prince William called the winners “innovators” and emphasized the role of optimism, determination, and vision in driving global environmental change.

Christiana Figueres, chair of the Earthshot Prize board of trustees, described the winners as building a “global legacy” and highlighted their ambitious 2030 goals as evidence of the growing spirit of collective action.

During his five-day visit to Brazil, Prince William also visited the Christ the Redeemer statue, echoing a historic visit by his mother, Princess Diana. His focus remained on climate initiatives, including visits to Paqueta Island to study mangrove conservation and tree planting activities. He will continue his environmental advocacy at COP30 in Belem, Amazon rainforest, later this week.

The Earthshot Prize 2025 underscores the importance of global collaboration in tackling pressing environmental challenges. By supporting initiatives from rainforest restoration to ocean conservation, the award demonstrates that practical solutions and innovative thinking can create measurable impact in repairing the planet.