Prince William Names 2025 Earthshot Winners in Rio de Janeiro

Prince William announced the winners of the 2025 Earthshot Prize during a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, recognizing groundbreaking environmental initiatives that offer hope for our planet’s future. The prestigious awards, part of the Prince’s ambitious environmental program, celebrate innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing ecological challenges.

Among this year’s winners is a pioneering project focused on making Brazil’s Atlantic Forest economically sustainable. The Atlantic Forest, one of the world’s most biodiverse yet threatened ecosystems, has lost nearly 90% of its original coverage due to deforestation and development. The winning initiative demonstrates how conservation efforts can be financially viable, potentially serving as a model for protecting other endangered forests worldwide while supporting local communities economically.

Another winning project centers on advancing a global ocean treaty initiative, addressing the critical need for international cooperation in marine conservation. With oceans facing unprecedented threats from climate change, pollution, and overfishing, this initiative represents a significant step toward comprehensive ocean protection on a worldwide scale.

The Earthshot Prize, launched by Prince William in 2020, awards £1 million to each of five winners annually through 2030. The competition seeks to discover and scale the most innovative solutions to environmental challenges, focusing on protecting and restoring nature, cleaning the air, reviving oceans, building a waste-free world, and fixing the climate. By holding this year’s ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, the event highlights South America’s crucial role in global environmental conservation efforts.