The Earthshot Prize: Africa’s First Ever Host – Cape Town

The Earthshot Prize, a prestigious international award for environmental solutions, will be hosted in Cape Town, South Africa for the first time in November 2024. The week-long Earthshot Week event will honor nominees from around the world, with five winners each receiving £1 million. The increase in African nominations highlights the continent’s creative potential and resilience in the face of climate change. Prince William, founder of the Earthshot Prize, chose Cape Town to expand the award’s global reach and recognize Africa’s role in environmental innovation.

The Earthshot Prize, an international award that recognizes innovative environmental solutions, will be hosted in Cape Town, South Africa for the first time in November 2024. The week-long event, called Earthshot Week, will honor nominees from around the world, and five winners will each receive £1 million. This year, Africa has seen a significant increase in nominations, highlighting the continent’s creative potential and resilience in the face of climate change. Prince William, founder of the Earthshot Prize, chose Cape Town to expand the award’s global reach and recognize Africa’s role in environmental innovation.

The Earthshot Prize, a prestigious international award that applauds trailblazing environmental solutions, announced that this year’s awards ceremony will be hosted in Cape Town, South Africa. This marks the first instance of the award being held on African soil. Dubbed ‘Earthshot Week’, the week-long series of events in November 2024 is poised to honor the nominees whose innovative methodologies are significantly contributing towards the rescue of our endangered planet.

Each year, the award attracts a wide array of champions drawn from an extensive pool of 15 finalists, uncovered through a rigorous selection process that spans several months. These finalists, hailing from various parts of the world, will convene in Cape Town. The award ceremony will culminate in the announcement of five winners, each of whom will receive a grand prize of £1 million (R23.8 million). This substantial reward is intended to bolster the growth and development of their eco-friendly solutions at the esteemed award ceremony, which is a significant date in the Prince of Wales’s annual diary.

The Earthshot Prize awards merit in five categories: Protect & Restore, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build A Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate. The selected finalists will be revealed in September, paving the way for the eagerly awaited annual award ceremony.

African Nominations and Climate Resilience

What’s worth noting is the notable increase in nominations coming from Africa this year. Out of the total 2,500 entries, approximately 400 originate from Africa. This is indicative of the continent’s burgeoning creativity and innovative potential. These contributions are set to spark optimism and could potentially instigate transformative change on a global scale.

Africa’s relatively minuscule contribution to global warming and low emission levels notwithstanding, the continent bears the brunt of the adverse effects of climate change. In 2022 alone, weather, climate, and water-associated hazards impacted over 110 million people in Africa, according to data from the World Meteorological Organisation. Despite this, African countries have exhibited resilience, with all nearly all of them committed to enhancing climate action through greenhouse gas emission cuts and strengthening resilience.

Hannah Jones, CEO of the Earthshot Prize, spoke enthusiastically about Africa’s commendable participation. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Africa’s change-makers and partners to highlight the remarkable innovation emerging from the continent,” she said. She emphasized the need for meaningful dialogue about scalability and finance and commended Africa’s young creators and filmmakers for their storytelling prowess, effectively narrating the transformative narratives of their local change-makers.

Jones stressed the Earthshot Prize nominations serve as a testament to human resilience, as they showcase how ‘human ingenuity, grit, and determination can transform the seemingly impossible into the new normal’.

Prince William’s Connection to Africa and the Global Reach of Earthshot Prize

Prince William, founder of the Earthshot Prize in 2020, holds a deep connection with Africa. He selected this enchanting continent, specifically Kenya, as the location for his proposal to Kate Middleton. The Prince has also visited other African countries to support his wildlife initiative, Tusk, and has holidayed in Africa several times.

Last year, the Earthshot Prize ceremony was held in Singapore, marking the event’s debut in Asia. However, the move to Cape Town this year signifies an expansion of the Earthshot Prize’s global reach and a recognition of Africa’s vital role in environmental innovation and conservation. There’s no doubt that Earthshot Week 2024 promises to be an electrifying convergence of ideas, innovation, and inspiration, with Cape Town, the gem of South Africa, serving as its dynamic backdrop.

1. What is the Earthshot Prize?

The Earthshot Prize is an international award that recognizes innovative environmental solutions that contribute towards the rescue of our endangered planet.

2. When and where will the Earthshot Prize be hosted this year?

The Earthshot Prize will be hosted in Cape Town, South Africa for the first time in November 2024 as part of Earthshot Week, a week-long series of events that honors nominees from around the world.

3. How many winners will receive the Earthshot Prize and what is the prize?

Five winners will be announced at the Earthshot Prize ceremony, with each winner receiving a grand prize of £1 million (R23.8 million).

4. What is the significance of the increase in African nominations for the Earthshot Prize?

This year, out of the total 2,500 entries, approximately 400 originate from Africa, indicating the continent’s burgeoning creativity and innovative potential. African contributions are set to spark optimism and could potentially instigate transformative change on a global scale.

5. What is Prince William’s connection to Africa and why did he choose Cape Town for the Earthshot Prize?

Prince William, founder of the Earthshot Prize, holds a deep connection with Africa. He has chosen Cape Town to expand the award’s global reach and recognize Africa’s vital role in environmental innovation and conservation.

6. What categories does the Earthshot Prize award merit in?

The Earthshot Prize awards merit in five categories: Protect & Restore, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build A Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate.