Earthshot winners shine in Rio

The Earthshot Prize has announced its five winners for 2025 at a ceremony held at Rio de Janeiro’s Museum of Tomorrow.

The winners were unveiled earlier this week by Brazilian Olympic star Rebeca Andrade and Indigenous activist Txai Suruí and were selected from nearly 2,500 nominations across 72 countries.

Each winner will receive £1 million to expand or replicate their work in one of five categories tackling urgent environmental challenges.

Prince William, founder and president of The Earthshot Prize, said: “When I founded The Earthshot Prize in 2020, we had a ten-year goal; to make this the decade in which we transformed our world for the better.

"It was a mission driven by the kind of extraordinary optimism we have felt here tonight, from these innovators. Their work is the proof we need that progress is possible. Their stories are the inspiration that gives us courage."

"When I founded The Earthshot Prize in 2020, we had a ten-year goal; to make this the decade in which we transformed our world for the better."

Protect and Restore Nature

Brazil’s re.green, winner of the Protect and Restore Nature category, aims to make restoration of the Atlantic Forest financially viable. The company’s model uses artificial intelligence, drones and satellite imagery to target land with the highest potential for regeneration, while generating revenue through carbon credits and sustainable timber. Re.green says it plans to restore one million hectares of forest by 2040.

Clean Our Air

In Colombia, the City of Bogotá won Clean Our Air for its urban clean-up policies that have helped to cut air pollution by 24% since 2018. The city has expanded green spaces, and says it has built Latin America’s largest cycle network and introduced one of the world’s biggest electric bus fleets. Bogotá says the award will help it launch a second low-emission zone in 2026.

Revive Our Oceans

The Revive Our Oceans award went to The High Seas Treaty, a global legal framework designed to set out clear measures to prevent overfishing, conserve ocean life and promote fair participation for developing countries. The treaty is expected to come into force in 2026 following its 60th ratification.

Build a Waste-Free World

Nigeria’s Lagos Fashion Week, winner in the Build a Waste-Free World category, was recognised for demanding sustainability commitments from participating designers and reshaping Africa’s fashion industry practices. By 2030, Lagos says it aims to replicate its model across five fashion weeks.

Fix Our Climate

In Bangladesh, Friendship won the Fix Our Climate category for its community support and natural disaster preparation programs. From its beginnings as a single floating hospital, the organisation says it now assists over 7.5 million people annually, provides over 8.3 million days of emergency food support, and plans to protect 7,000 kilometres of coastline by 2030 with mangrove and wetland restoration. 

The five Earthshot winners were selected from a shortlist of 15 finalists drawn from almost 2,500 nominations across 72 countries. Among these was Australia’s own finalist, the Quay Quarter Tower in Sydney, recognised in the Build a Waste-Free World category for its deep retrofit approach that avoided demolition and cut more than 12,000 tonnes of embodied carbon. 

*The Zero Planet is an Official Nominator for the Earthshot Prize

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