2,500 Submissions from 72 Countries with 15 Finalists, with 5 Winners of £1 mil / USD1.35 mil Each.

At a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 5, 2025, five winners set to receive £1 million each at The Earthshot Prize from the 15 finalists for 2025 announced this month. Founded by Prince William in 2020, the Prize aims to discover and scale the most innovative solutions to repair our planet by 2030.

The 2025 finalists were selected from nearly 2,500 nominees submitted by a network of 575 nominators across 72 countries. These solutions span five critical environmental categories: Revive our Oceans, Fix our Climate, Build a Waste-free World, Protect and Restore Nature, and Clean our Air.

“As we reach the halfway point of the Earthshot decade, I am truly inspired by this year’s Finalists, which embody the urgent optimism sitting right at the heart of our mission,” said Hannah Jones, CEO of The Earthshot Prize. “In just five years, The Earthshot Prize has shown that the answers to our planet’s greatest challenges not only already exist, but that they are firmly within our grasp.”

The breakdown:

• 15 Finalists total (3 finalists per category)
• 5 categories
• 5 winners will be selected (1 per category)
• Each winner receives £1 million
• Total prize money distributed: £5 million

The 15 finalists join a growing community of 60 Earthshot innovators who have collectively raised over $500 million in funding since the Prize’s inception. Together, previous finalists have protected and restored over one million square kilometers of land and ocean, prevented 250,000 tonnes of waste from reaching landfills, and reduced or captured 4.8 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

This year’s cohort includes groundbreaking innovations ranging from microplastics filters to the world’s first fully upcycled skyscraper, alongside ambitious reforestation and ocean protection initiatives. The finalists were evaluated by The Earthshot Prize’s Expert Advisory Panel, comprising over 100 specialists in conservation, science, technology, business, and policy.

The final winners will be selected by Prince William and The Earthshot Prize Council, a distinguished group that includes Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, actress Cate Blanchett, former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, and World Trade Organization Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The Council is chaired by Dame Christiana Figueres, architect of the Paris Climate Accord.

Beyond prize money, all 15 finalists will receive dedicated mentorship, technical support, and access to The Earthshot Prize’s Global Alliance of Partners during a year-long Fellowship Programme designed to accelerate their solutions’ growth and global impact.

INNOVATORS: Keep Earthshot on your radar for future applications: HERE+

Climate Innovation Competitions Closing in Next 6 Months

ASIA COMPETITIONS:

The Liveability Challenge 2026

4. • Prize: S$2 million total (S$1 million per track winner) + S$2 million development funding from A*STAR for Decarbonisation track
   • Deadline: February 9, 2026
   • Website: https://www.theliveabilitychallenge.org
   • Asia’s largest sustainability solutions platform seeking deep-tech solutions across Decarbonisation and Cool Earth themes, with Grand Finale at Ecosperity Week 2026 in Singapore (May 18-21, 2026) Asian Development BankKursiv.

• Cleantech Forum Asia 2026 – Innovation Showcase
  • Prize: Exposure to investors, corporates, and entrepreneurs
  • Deadline: March 14, 2025 (for Innovation Showcase applications)
  • Website: https://www.cleantech.com/event/cleantech-forum-asia
  • Partner event of Ecosperity Week 2025 by Temasek (May 7-8, 2026 in Singapore), featuring six-session track on AI and Cleantech with opportunities for start-ups to pitch to investors IPCC Report of physical climate risks throughout Asia should prompt climate action from investors – Asia Investor Group on Climate Change – Asia Investor Group on Climate Change.

GLOBAL COMPETITIONS:

• AVEVA EcoTech Emerge Challenge 2025

1. • Prize: £18,000 cash prize
   • Deadline: November 2, 2025
   • Website: https://www.aveva.com (check official AVEVA site for application portal)
   • For undergraduate and Master’s students worldwide to share innovative ideas that drive global industry towards a sustainable, net-zero future, with the Grand Finale taking place December 15, 2025 – January 18, 2026 Hydrogen Storage and Thermal Insulation Start-ups Win Asia Liveability Challenge | Cleantech Group.

• UNICEF Climate Innovation Challenge 2025
  • Prize: Funding amount TBA + mentorship
  • Deadline: October 21, 2025
  • Website: https://www.unicefventurefund.org
  • Launched by UNICEF Venture Fund in collaboration with India Health Fund and Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, seeking early and growth stage frontier tech start-ups in emerging markets addressing climate impacts on children’s health and community resilience IeeeCleantech Group.