Prince William Unveils 2025 Earthshot Prize Winners in Rio

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – November 6, 2025: The five recipients of the 2025 Earthshot Prize were revealed at a high-profile ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, marking a notable step in global efforts to confront climate and environmental problems. Launched by Prince William in 2020, the Earthshot Prize runs over a decade to identify and back practical innovations that repair the planet; each winning entry receives £1 million to accelerate its work.

Prince William, who leads the initiative, welcomed the winners as tangible examples that meaningful progress can be achieved. The event at the Museum of Tomorrow drew public figures and performers, including Brazilian football icon Cafu, Olympic gymnast Rebeca Andrade, former Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel, and entertainers Kylie Minogue and Shawn Mendes, who appeared on stage. Senior UK politicians Sir Keir Starmer, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and London Mayor Sadiq Khan also attended.

Earthshot Prize 2025 Winners:

• Protect and Restore Nature: re.green in Brazil focuses on conserving the Atlantic Forest — a globally important ecosystem — while developing financially sustainable conservation models.

• Clean Our Air: Bogotá, Colombia, was recognised for policies that produced measurable air quality gains, including clean air zones and urban re-greening programmes.

• Revive Our Oceans: The High Seas Treaty, scheduled to take effect in January 2026, was honoured for creating a framework to protect marine biodiversity and enhance international coordination on ocean stewardship.

• Build a Waste-Free World: Lagos Fashion Week in Nigeria won for pushing sustainable practices in fashion, requiring designers to adopt measures that cut waste across the industry.

• Fix Our Climate: Friendship, an initiative in Bangladesh, supports vulnerable communities by improving access to healthcare, education and disaster readiness to lessen climate impacts.

Thiago Picolo, chief executive of re.green, said the award provides important validation for the group and strengthens conversations with banks, companies and investors. Prince William called the winners innovators whose ambition and resolve are driving real-world environmental change.

Christiana Figueres, chair of the prize's board of trustees, said the laureates are creating a lasting global legacy and pointed to their 2030 targets as evidence of growing collective action.

On a five-day visit to Brazil, Prince William toured landmarks including the Christ the Redeemer statue, echoing a visit by his mother, Princess Diana, and focused on environmental projects such as mangrove conservation and tree planting on Paquetá Island. He is scheduled to continue his climate advocacy at COP30 in Belém later this week.

The 2025 Earthshot Prize highlights the role of international cooperation in addressing urgent environmental challenges. By supporting initiatives from forest restoration to ocean protection, the prize seeks to scale practical, measurable solutions that repair the planet.