The Earthshot Prize launched an ambitious nine-month worldwide search process in its second year to find what they considered the most creative and innovative answers to the most pressing environmental problems the world is currently experiencing. A screening process assisted by an expert advisory panel was used to choose 15 finalists from 10 different nations out of over 1000 submissions received from all around the world. The Earthshot Prize Global Alliance, a network of world-leading philanthropies, NGOs, and private sector organisations worldwide, say that it will provide targeted support to each of the 15 Finalists who participated in the ceremony and help them expand their ideas. Access to resources in various fields, such as manufacturing, retail, supply chains, legal counsel, digital technology, corporate strategy, and government relations, could be provided by the Earthshot Prize.[i] Prizes were awarded across five categories:
Prince William hosted the awards ceremony in Boston on the 2nd of December, with the winners each receiving £1 million annually until 2030 to support their continuing endeavour.[iii]
Indian firm Kheyti won the protect and restore nature award. Kheyti develops, adapts, and puts into practice low-cost agricultural techniques that assist small farmers in boosting production and predictability of produce. They pair these techniques with comprehensive support to provide farmers with the potential to increase their income. They have created a "Greenhouse-in-a-box" that is a low-cost, modular greenhouse with full-stack services. It grows seven times as much food, consumes 90% less water, and provides farmers with a reliable income stream.[iv]
Source: Kheyti
The 2022 winner of the clean our air award was won by Kenyan enterprise Mukuru Clean Stoves. Their solution was motivated by distressing air pollution statistics from within the country.
These statistics are partly a result of households being exposed to levels of air pollution that are up to 50 times higher than those recommended by the World Health Organization for clean air by burning solid fuels like wood, charcoal, and agricultural waste in open fires and conventional stoves. Clean cook stoves reduce the amount of fuel consumed by 30 to 60%, hazardous smoke emissions by 50 to 90%, and the risk of burn injuries in children under the age of five by 40%. Recycled waste metal from local sources is used to make Mukuru cook burners. Due to lower production costs, the products are now more accessible to their intended market.[vi]
Source: Mukuru Clean Stoves
Larissa Hale, the chair of the Traditional Owner Advisory Group for the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, is working with other Indigenous women to develop the next group of female Indigenous rangers who will work to better protect the Great Barrier Reef. The effects of climate change and other local hazards, including poor water quality and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish, pose a persistent threat to the Great Barrier Reef. Indigenous rangers in the area are essential to its defence. Through their work, traditional Aboriginal knowledge that has been passed down through the generations is combined with cutting-edge technology, such as drones that monitor coral changes, forest fires, and land deterioration. These Indigenous women were the recipients of the revive our oceans award for their efforts to educate the next generation of barrier reef protectors. Larissa Hale said, “This place has always been our home, but today we risk losing it and the unique culture that has existed here for millennia. Our Women’s Ranger Network exists to protect our home and continue our traditions. We have made big first steps, but we have a long way still to go. Thank you to The Earthshot Prize, for supporting us.”[vii]
Source: The Earthshot Prize
Notpla are a UK-based company that produces plastic alternatives, and they won the build a waste-free world Earthshot Prize. Like a piece of fruit, Notpla's selection of all-natural packaging options created from plants and seaweed decompose and biodegrade organically. Each product is created to address a particular plastic issue that has been recognised across numerous industries, including electronics, fashion, cosmetics, and food. Their solutions are made to address issues that arise across the entire production process, including the development of materials, exclusive manufacturing equipment, processes, and unique consumer product formats and designs. Their sachet alternative has a 68% smaller lifetime carbon impact than traditional sachets and uses 100% less plastic. In 2021, they replaced 46,000 sachets and aim to replace at least 300 million by 2025.[viii]
Source: Earthshot Prize
44.01, awarded the fix our climate Earthshot Prize, is an Omani business that takes captured carbon and mineralises it within Peridotite in which it is stored, removing its potential to warm our planet. Peridotite has the highest capacity for absorption of any rock with each tonne having the ability to mineralise 500–600kg of CO2 in just a year. Peridotite is abundant in Oman, where 44.01 began their activities. However, there are trillions of tonnes of peridotite mineralisation potential in America, Europe, Asia and Australasia, suggesting worldwide deployment potential. By the end of 2022, 44.01 hopes to have injected one tonne of CO2 that has been captured into the mineralisation process. To date, they have completed two successful pilots. They'll start injecting CO2 on a commercial basis in Q2 2023. By 2040, they hope to have mineralised one gigaton of CO2 or the annual emissions from all international air traffic.[ix]
Source: 44.01
Each of these winners pushes boundaries in their field; not only do the solutions provide climate benefits and demonstrate the value of outside-the-box thinking, but they also show that climate solutions can and should bring with them benefits for populations that themselves are most exposed to the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
[i] The Earthshot Prize- Five winners of the second ever Earthshot Prize unveiled
[ii] The Earthshot Prize- Learn about the Earthshots
[iii] BBC- Earthshot Prize: Prince William announces five winners
[iv] Kheyti- Technology solutions for small farmers.
[v] Mukuru Clean Stoves- About Us
[vi] Ibid
[vii] Great Barrier Reef Foundation- Indigenous women named Earthshot Prize finalists
[viii] Notpla- Impact Report 2021
[ix] 44.01- We provide a safe, cost-effective way of eliminating CO2 from the atmosphere.
Oscar is a recent graduate with a background in earth science. He is currently studying an MSc focussing on disaster responses, emergency planning and community resilience. His postgraduate research project will assess the link between climate crisis risk perception and attitudes to green energy projects. “Adapting to the climate crisis through the pursuit of net zero requires community engagement and understanding. Zero Carbon Academy’s goals closely align with this approach and I’m excited to have the opportunity to research and communicate a variety of topics relating to our environment and sustainability”.
