Today, the Prince William and Earthshot Awards announced the finalists for the Earthshot Prize 2022 – a talented group of entrepreneurs and innovators who propose 15 ground-breaking solutions to the biggest environmental challenges facing our planet. The 15 contestants get a chance to win a prize of £1 million during the second annual Earthshot Prize Show. There are two finalists in the Netherlands: The Great Bubble Barrier and the Amsterdam Circular Economy Municipality.
The award is inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot movie, which united millions of people around a regulatory goal of putting humans on the moon and which spurred the development of new technology in the 1960s.
Prince William said: “The innovators, leaders and visionaries who make up the 2022 Earth Shot finalists prove that there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future of our planet. They are focusing their time, energy and talent on bold solutions that can not only solve our planet’s biggest environmental problems, but also create Healthier, more prosperous and sustainable societies for future generations.I am so excited to celebrate these fifteen finalists and announce the five winners of the Earthshot Prize in Boston – the birthplace of President John F. Kennedy, who shared the Earthshot Prize’s belief that seemingly impossible goals are within reach if we harness the power Unlimited innovation, creativity and human optimism.
In addition to being eligible for the £1 million prize, all finalists will receive tailored support and resources from members of the Earthshot Prize Global Alliance, an unprecedented network of private sector companies around the world committed to helping scale and multiply the impact of innovative climate and environmental solutions. .
The five winners will be selected by the Earthshot Prize Board, a diverse team of influential individuals who look to use their platforms to advance inspirational leadership and advance urgent efforts to restore and renew the planet.
Members of the Earthshot Prize Board are: HRH Prince William, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Cate Blanchett, Daniel Alves da Silva, Sir David Attenborough, Ernest Gibson, Hindu Omaru Ibrahim, Jack Ma, Shakira Mubarak, Yao Ming, Luisa . Neubauer, Indra Nooyi, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Naoko Yamazaki.
A truly global project, the Earthshot Award consists of a diverse group of nominees from over 200 people and organizations from around the world, a renowned expert advisory body, and the Earthshot Award Board, made up of influential individuals committed to a positive environment. a job.
The fifteen candidates were judged by an expert advisory panel, composed of scientific, academic and subject leaders. Each of the finalists’ solutions excelled through a rigorous screening process and were judged for their ability to make a world-leading impact, as well as their ability to help us meet Earthhot’s challenges while positively impacting people, communities, and the natural world. There are two finalists in the Netherlands: The Great Bubble Barrier and the Amsterdam Circular Economy Municipality.
The Earthshot Awards will take place Friday, December 2 at the MGM Music Hall in Boston. The award will be broadcast worldwide on BBC in the UK, PBS in the US and Multichoice in Africa. The show will also be available worldwide on YouTube. The premiere will take place on Sunday, December 4th.
Amsterdam municipality wants to be circular by 2050
In 2020, the city of Amsterdam took a radical step by becoming the first city to commit to a circular economy, in which waste is eliminated and citizens are prosperous. By 2030, the city will halve its use of new raw materials. By 2050, its economy will be completely circular.
To this end, waste is reduced in three areas: the food that Amsterdam residents eat, the products they use, and building in the built environment. The most important thing is that the city makes its residents and businesses think differently: from “use and dispose” to “remember and reuse”.
Two years after the city’s “circular strategy” began, things are really starting to change. When Covid struck, for example, the city helped local textile companies cut the cost of repairing clothes by 80% to encourage more reuse as household budgets fell.
The Great Bubble Barrier
Most of the plastic in our seas comes from our rivers and canals, where it harms wildlife, harms boats and contributes to climate change. But once plastic waste enters our oceans, it is nearly impossible to catch and dispose of it.
In the Netherlands, a country characterized by its waterways, a team of ocean enthusiasts led by Francis Zoet, Anne-Marek Evelins and Philip Ehrhorn has developed an ingenious way to prevent harmful plastic from reaching our oceans. Learn about the Great Bubble Barrier.
