Brazil To Host Prince William's Earthshot Prize

The Prince of Wales' Earthshot Prize will beryllium held successful Brazil later this year, Kensington Palace has announced, successful nan aforesaid period nan state hosts nan COP30 UN climate alteration conference.

The main awards ceremony, on pinch respective days of events for nominees, investors and biology leaders, will beryllium held successful Rio de Janeiro successful November.

The world biology award, founded by nan prince, gives £1m to 5 winners judged to connection nan champion solution to immoderate of nan world's biggest ambiance challenges.

The Earthshot Prize is simply a 10-year task pinch past ceremonies held successful London, Boston, Singapore and Cape Town.

Prince William said: "2025 marks nan midway constituent of nan Earthshot decade and each twelvemonth we've witnessed nan singular powerfulness of quality ingenuity successful addressing our planet's astir pressing challenges."

"It is an honour to floor plan nan group making our world a amended spot for america and for our children," he added.

A video announcing nan plans featured nan prince and respective Earthshot supporters including David Beckham, Cate Blanchett, Hannah Waddingham and erstwhile Brazilian footballer, Cafu.

Fifteen projects will beryllium shortlisted for a chance of winning nan prizes.

The judging sheet has received 232 nominations from projects based successful South America – much than double nan number received from nan region past year.

Christiana Figueres, chair of nan committee of Earthshot trustees, has led a number of negotiations connected world ambiance accords during a agelong profession pushing for world ambiance solutions.

As a Costa Rican, Ms Figueres said it was a important infinitesimal to spot Brazil big nan prize.

"It's very exciting, surely for maine arsenic a Latin American….Brazil is astatine nan bosom of nan situation Earthshot faces," she told me.

"To person nan prize travel successful conscionable earlier COP brings attraction to Earthshot. It is win-win for some COP and Earthshot."

This year's Earthshot is being viewed arsenic nan curtain raiser to COP which is due to statesman a fewer days later successful Belém, nan gateway to nan Amazon.

It comes against nan backdrop of Donald Trump's caller return to nan White House successful nan US.

Trump is simply a known ambiance sceptic who has been vocal successful his disapproval of world ambiance action.

"That doesn't thief but it doesn't extremity nan advancement either," Ms Figueres said.

"He can't extremity nan beforehand of greenish technologies, he can't extremity nan nationalist request for cleaner aerial and a much sustainable world. None of that tin extremity because of governmental ignorance."

Ahead of COP, location has been disapproval of Brazil from conservationists for cutting down tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest to build a caller four-lane road successful mentation for nan ambiance summit.