Paving the way to a greener future: York becomes an Official Nominator of the 2025 Earthshot Prize
Posted on 6 November 2024
The Earthshot Prize searches the globe for game-changing innovations that will help us repair our planet, awarding the very best five solutions each year with one million pounds to scale their work.
It was launched by Prince William and renowned biologist David Attenborough in 2020, who also support the selection of the winners.
The University is proud to be selected as one of a handful of UK universities invited to submit nominations for the prize. The role follows an inspiring Alumni Voices interview in 2023 with York alum Chris Large, a director at the Earthshot Prize. Speaking about the prize, Chris said:
“The whole purpose of The Earthshot Prize is to inspire urgent action and optimism and we do that by discovering, awarding, showcasing, accelerating and scaling solutions that have got the potential to regenerate the planet.”
“The prize is trying to find thousands of solutions that could make a genuine difference.”
Sustainability plays a key part in the University’s strategy for public good, with 100% divestment from fossil fuels and the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, alongside a wealth of other sustainable initiatives.
The University will be nominating individuals, communities, businesses and organisations whose solutions make the most progress towards achieving the five Earthshot goals. The Earthshot goals are:
- Protect and Restore Nature
- Clean our Air
- Revive our Oceans
- Build a Waste-Free World
- Fix our Climate
Finalists and winners are given an incredible platform to amplify their work, as well as tailored support from The Earthshot Prize and their network of NGOs, businesses, governments, funders and expert mentors.
The five winners will also receive a one-of-a-kind award and a one-million-pound grant to scale their impact. The Earthshot Prize also celebrates and accelerates hundreds more innovators and their solutions beyond the Finalists.
If you have a solution that is inspiring, inclusive and impactful, please email dan.zastawny@york.ac.uk to find out how to submit your proposal through the University. You can also find out more about the Prize, our role as an Official Nominator, and the process to selecting winners on the Earthshot Prize website.