Our thinking

Roll out the green carpet

10 November, 2023

Earlier this week, the winners of this year’s Earthshot Prize were announced in a star-studded ceremony in Singapore. Inspired by President Kennedy’s “Moonshot” challenge in the 1960s to land a man on the moon within a decade, the Earthshot Prize recognises that change is not yet happening fast enough and is designed to accelerate progress to address the most pressing environmental challenges facing the planet. With five Earthshot goals – Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate – its mission is to inspire and support ambitious efforts that can help repair the Earth and make it a more sustainable and resilient place for current and future generations.

Awarding £1 million to the winners in each category, the awards bring vital funding and recognition to projects, individuals and organisations dedicated to addressing these critical issues. Last year, we were delighted to see our friends at Notpla win the award in the ‘Build a Waste-Free World’ category. Winning the prize allowed Notpla to scale operations, expanding its industrial production and commercial partnerships to cater to increasing demand for its packaging solutions. Beyond the initial cash injection, Notpla is using the momentum from its win to generate investment to support the introduction of new innovative product lines, and using Earthshot prize branding to build confidence from business and consumers in their products.

The finalists and winners at this year’s awards represent a diverse array of projects, from breakthrough technologies to grassroots community efforts. One of the winners that caught our eye was Boomitra, winning in the Fix Our Climate category. Working to expand the adoption of regenerative agriculture and improve the lives of farmers, Boomitra is a carbon-credits marketplace that rewards farmers for sustainable land management practices. The marketplace incentivises soil restoration by giving the revenue from the sale of verified carbon credits for the emissions that are removed through this practice back to the farmers. With its win at this year’s awards, Boomitra is hoping to scale this solution globally, aiming to store one gigaton of carbon by 2030.

The Earthshot Prize embodies the belief that positive change is possible when visionaries, scientists, entrepreneurs, and community leaders come together to make a difference. And by offering substantial financial support and a platform for these game-changing ideas, the prize encourages others to join the movement towards a more sustainable and resilient world.

Find out more about all this year’s nominees and winners here, and tune in to watch the awards ceremony on BBC One this Sunday.

By Lucy Bell