What is The Earthshot Prize? PDF Version
The Earthshot Prize is the most prestigious global environment prize in history, aiming to find new solutions to the world’s biggest environmental problems, and the search for the 2022 winners has begun. Find out more at https://earthshotprize.org/
How many Earthshots are there?
There are five Earthshots; 1) Protect and restore nature; 2) Clean our air; 3) Revive our oceans; 4) Create a waste-free world; 5) Fix our climate. Find out more at https://earthshotprize.org/
How many Earthshot Prize winners will there be?
There will be five Earthshot prize winners in 2022, one for each Earthshot. Each winner will receive a one-of-a-kind award and a £1,000,000 Grant to scale their impact.
Who can submit a project for consideration?
We will consider solutions from Caribbean countries and/or sectors for projects designed for use in the Caribbean. Projects can be submitted by individuals, organisations, for-profit, non-profit, hybrid, government, movement and collaboration. Last year’s finalists included a schoolgirl, a grassroots non-profit, tech-driven start-ups, global data monitoring systems, a city and a country.
From which countries will Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator accept project proposals from?
We are only accepting project submissions from our partner/coalition countries. If your project is from another country, you can reach out to other Earthshot Prize Official Nominators listed on the Earthshot Prize website at https://earthshotprize.org/
Who will submit my project?
Only Official Nominators for the Earthshot Prize, such as Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator can submit nominations.
When is the deadline to submit my project?
The deadline for submission of projects to Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator is Monday 28th February, 2022, 12 noon, AST.
How do I send my proposal?
Simply fill out the Earthshot Prize Project Nomination Form. Proposals received after the deadline on Monday 28th February, 2022, 12 noon, AST may not be considered for nomination.
Who will determine if my project will be nominated for The Earthshot Prize?
Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator will review all legitimate proposals received and will make a determination of which project/s could be nominated for the Earthshot Prize, based on the criteria provided by the Earthshot Prize. Find out more at https://earthshotprize.org/
Can I request an extension if I need more time to gather information?
In order to meet the Earthshot Prize deadline for submissions, no extensions to the deadline will be considered.
Can I submit my project directly to The Earthshot Prize?
No. Only Official Nominators for the Earthshot Prize, such as Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator can submit nominations.
How many projects can I submit for consideration?
You can submit as many projects as you wish. Projects must fall under one of the FIVE Earthshots: 1) Protect and restore nature; 2) Clean our air; 3) Revive our oceans; 4) Create a waste-free world; 5) Fix our climate. Find out more about the Earthshots here.
The Earthshot Prize ALSO encourages ‘wildcard’ nominations and insights that they haven’t considered, particularly when those nominations have the potential to inspire people globally. As such, ‘wildcard’ projects can also be submitted to us for consideration.
Do I have to pay to submit a project for consideration?
No. There is no cost to submit your climate solution project.
Will my project information be kept confidential?
Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator will only share your project details with the Earthshot Prize Council if we decide to submit it as a nominee. Beyond this, project information will not be shared with any third party without the owner’s consent.
If I had a project that was submitted last year and it was not a finalist or did not win, can I resubmit it?
Yes, you can.
How will I know if my project has been shortlisted or becomes a finalist?
You will be notified by The Earthshot Prize if your project has been shortlisted and/or becomes a finalist.
If I am a winner, how will I receive my Earthshot Prize?
This will be communicated to all winners by the Earthshot Prize.
If my project does not meet one of the five Earthshots, can I still submit it?
Yes, you can. The Earthshot Prize encourages ‘wildcard’ nominations and insights they haven’t considered, particularly when those nominations have the potential to inspire people globally.
How are nominated projects selected for The Earthshot Prize?
Nominations undergo a rigorous screening and assessment process before the five winners are selected. The selection process will prioritise solutions that are beyond idea stage, with working prototypes or proven effectiveness, ready to be scaled or replicated rapidly.
Nominations are assessed in terms of the inspiring stories behind them, their inclusivity, equity and benefits for humans, their impact on the Earthshots, and the ability for this impact to be scaled. Find out more at https://earthshotprize.org/awards/search-selection/
How are winners selected for each Earthshot?
The selection priorities provide transparency on the areas of particular focus. To craft these priorities, Earthshot Prize has consulted widely with experts and conducted extensive research and analysis.
There are five filters for assessing nominations. What are they?
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TYPE OF INTERVENTION
Three types of intervention are being sought:
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Prevention: we primarily seek innovations that can provide an alternative to approaches that cause harm, such as renewable energy instead of fossil fuels, like AEM Electrolyser;
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Restoration: we want to make systems we use today better. In this, we seek innovations that are regenerative or restorative: e.g., restoring corals, like Coral Vita;
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Adaptation: we know that much damage is already done. We seek innovations that help minimise the impact on people and on the environment: e.g., adapting man-made coastal defences into marine ecosystems like Living Seawalls.
While our selection process seeks nominations from all three categories, in 2022 we will put additional weighting on preventative solutions as they address the source of the problem.
Scoring:
Adaptation: 10-20%
Restoration 20-30%
Prevention: 50-60%
2. DIVERSITY OF NOMINATIONS
Nominations of solutions can come from any Caribbean country and/or sector. This could be:
An individual (such as a leader or an activist)
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A team or small group of individuals
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An organisation (not-for-profit or for-profit)
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A public sector body/government (including a country or city)
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A partnership/consortium of more than one organisation
Last year’s finalists included a schoolgirl, a grassroots non-profit, tech-driven start-ups, global data monitoring systems, a city and a country. Diversity is a strength and will be a key consideration in the selection process to ensure finalists represent a diverse range of nominee types, sectors, geographies and demographics.
3. STAGE OF SOLUTION
The Earthshot Prize focuses on solutions that with monetary, communications, network and organisational support, can rapidly scale or be replicated. We seek solutions that:
1. Are beyond the idea stage
2. Have working prototypes or executed pilots that demonstrate the effectiveness of their solution
3. Have tested their solution in-field or with the target audience
4. May already be in market with “customers” or audiences but to a limited scale
The Earthshot Prize is looking for teams that have been able to make significant progress in the last year. What “breakthroughs”, whether it be the solution or the organisation, demonstrate recent progress? Examples of breakthroughs include:
• Creation/iteration of a functional prototype
• Launch of an in-market pilot programme
• Close of a first customer/contract
• Successful fundraising
• Completion of major research trial
• Launch in new geography or sector
• Key hires made
4. CHARACTERISTICS OF NOMINATIONS. THEY ARE INSPIRING, INCLUSIVE & IMPACTFUL. We are seeking solutions that are:
Inspiring: solutions that spark the imagination with a powerful, simple, hopeful story so that people everywhere can feel part of the movement.
Inclusive: Solutions that build inclusion, equity, and benefits for people into the activities and impact of the solution.
Impactful: Solutions which demonstrate proven impact, and potential to scale this impact to catalyse system change for one of the Earthshots by 2025.
5. ENABLERS: We see four cross-cutting areas that are disrupting eco-innovations and unlocking new solution sets across the five Earthshots.
We will seek out and weigh nominations that play one, many or all of the four enabling factors.
1. Solutions that leverage the disruptive force of democratised data technologies;
2. Solutions that leverage new financial and legal mechanisms;
3. Solutions led and informed by women and Indigenous voices;
4. “Wildcard” solutions.
WHAT ARE THE SELECTION FOCUS AREAS AND THE THREE PRIORITY AREAS WITHIN EACH EARTHSHOT?
Earthshot 1: Protect And Restore Nature
1. Paying environmental stewards and improving land rights
2. Using agricultural commodity markets as a lever to reduce harm to tropical forests
3. Increasing yields in biodiverse, regenerative agriculture
Earthshot 2: Clean Our Air
1. Engaging citizens in data collection and advocacy
2. Stopping the burning of agriculture and forests
3. Addressing personal transportation
Earthshot 3: Revive Our Oceans
1. Reducing and addressing overfishing
2. Developing ocean ecosystem services that mitigate climate change: ‘blue carbon’
3. Advancing climate-change solutions with ocean benefits
Earthshot 4: Build A Waste-Free World
1. Preventing the excessive use of resources
2. Extending the use of goods (particularly food, clothes, plastics)
3. Better managing waste once it has been generated
Earthshot 5: Fix Our Climate
1. Transitioning to renewable energy
2. Reducing methane emissions
3. Constructing buildings fit for the future
This is a guide, and not a prescriptive and exhaustive set of criteria. We would love to see nominations from these priority areas, but will consider nominations on any topic within any Earthshot. We encourage ‘wildcard’ nominations and insights we haven’t considered, particularly when those nominations have the potential to inspire people globally.
Can I submit my project to more than one Earthshot Prize Official Nominator?
Candidates sometimes reach out to more than one Official Nominator, however it is up to the Official Nominator to decide whether they wish to submit the solution as a nomination. All repeated/duplicated nominations will be consolidated, and the nomination will only be considered once.
To submit your project, fill out our Earthshot Prize Project Nomination Form.
For further information on the Earthshot Prize, visit https://earthshotprize.org/ or www.caribbeanaccelerator.org
