Celebrities joined BritainB次元官网网址檚 Prince William to walk the B次元官网网址済reen carpetB次元官网网址� in Singapore on Tuesday for the third ceremony, where five winners ranging from solar-powered dryers to combat food waste to making electric car batteries cleaner were unveiled.
The Prince of Wales said at the first ceremony held in Asia that the solutions presented by all 15 finalists proved that B次元官网网址渉ope does remainB次元官网网址� as the devastating effects of climate change are felt across the world.
Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, actors Donnie Yen, Lana Condor and Nomzano Mbatha, as well as Australian wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin presented the award to winners in five categories: nature protection, clean air, ocean revival, waste elimination and climate change.
The winners, who each won 1 million pounds ($1.2 million) to scale up their innovations, are:
B次元官网网址� Acci贸n Andina, for a community-based initiative in South American bringing tens of thousands of local and indigenous people together to restore high forests in the Andes mountain;
B次元官网网址� IndiaB次元官网网址檚 S4S Technologies, for solar-powered dryers and processing equipment that helped millions of farmers to preserve their crops and combat food waste;
B次元官网网址� Boomitra, for removing emissions and helping boost farmer profits in Asia, South America and Africa by incentivising land restoration through a verified carbon-credit marketplace;
B次元官网网址� Hong Kong company GRST, for developing a way to make batteries for electric vehicles pollute less and are easier to recycle;
B次元官网网址� Global non-profit organization WildAid Marine Program, for working with governments to bolster enforcement to deter illegal fishing and strengthen ocean conservation.
B次元官网网址淥ur winners and all our finalists remind us that, no matter where you are on our planet, the spirit of ingenuity, and the ability to inspire change, surrounds us all,B次元官网网址� William said.
The winners were chosen by a 13-member council that includes JordanB次元官网网址檚 Queen Rania, Chinese business magnate Jack Ma, British fashion designer Stella McCartney, broadcaster David Attenborough, World Trade Organization chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweale and former NBA star Yao Ming.
Apart from the prize money, all 15 finalists B次元官网网址� chosen from more than 1,100 nominations B次元官网网址� will receive a year of technical support and resources to help them accelerate and expand their work.
The other finalists included a U.S. company that found a way to recycle polycotton fabrics, which makes up half of all textile waste; a program to plant, grow and digitally track trees in Sierra LeoneB次元官网网址檚 capital Freetown, where 70% of trees have been cut down; an anti-smog movement in Poland, which has the dirtiest air in Europe; and a U.K. company making low-emission tires for electric vehicles.
The Earthshot Prize was launched in 2020 by WilliamB次元官网网址檚 Royal Foundation charity as a 10-year program to shore up innovative solutions and technologies against the planetB次元官网网址檚 greatest environmental perils.
In line with the sustainability theme, William wore a 10-year-old dark green blazer by Alexander McQueen. Other celebrities including Donnie Yen donned an old suit, while South African actress Mbatha wore a bright navy blue gown by Stella McCartney, known for her eco-friendly clothing,
The glitzy ceremony at the theater in state-owned Media Corp. was co-hosted by actors Hannah Waddingham and Sterling K. Brown. The bands One Republic and Bastille, and U.S. singer Bebe Rexha performed for the night.
Singapore ministers and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden also attended. Ardern, a trustee of the Earthshot board, said before the ceremony that Earthshot had helped amplified the solutions needed to fight climate change.
B次元官网网址淲e need speed and pace and Earthshot focuses on providing both,B次元官网网址� she said.
The ceremony came ahead of the COP28 U.N. climate change summit in Dubai, which starts Nov. 30 and will include a speech by his father, King Charles III.
Eileen Ng, The Associated Press
