For the first time in history, Brazil is preparing to host what is considered the "Oscar of sustainability": the Earthshot Prize, a global award created by Prince William in 2020, which allocates £5 million (approximately R$ 36.5 million) annually to scale five environmental initiatives.

Rio de Janeiro will host the fifth edition, with the iconic Museum of Tomorrow serving as the stage, just one week before the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém do Pará.

"It will be our best prize ever," emphasized David Fein, Vice President of the Earthshot Prize, in an exclusive interview with EXAME, describing the event in Brazil as a "match made in heaven" and with a leadership role in the green economy.

“The country was an important choice for us, whether for its biodiversity, leadership in conservation, or the engagement of local innovators. We felt an energy, passion, and commitment to the cause," he said.

With a long career in conservation, the American is also co-chair of United for Wildlife. This organization just celebrated its 10th anniversary and was also founded by Prince William to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.

His history and trajectory led him to be invited by the royal family to join the Earthshot Prize from the start: "I was thrilled with the opportunity," he said.

With the mission of tackling the most significant challenges of the century, such as the climate crisis, every year during this critical decade, the winners receive £1 million each (approximately R$ 7.3 million) to accelerate their solutions in five categories: protecting and restoring nature, cleaning our air, revitalizing our oceans, building a waste-free world, and correcting our climate.

For David, all five categories are transversal, and it is impossible to prioritize one as more important than the others. "The ultimate goal is to impact the planet positively," he said. In the case of Brazil, he highlights protecting and restoring nature.

"During my visits, I have witnessed the pain of deforestation and the importance of reforestation projects. This fits into conservation but also into climate," he reflected.

A historic milestone in Latin America

The strategy is to cover all regions of the world by 2030. The debut was in the United Kingdom (2021), followed by the U.S. (2022), Singapore (2023), South Africa (2024), and now Rio de Janeiro, which also hosted the G20 summit last year and stands out as a tourist destination with its exuberant nature.

According to David, the move to Brazil marks the beginning of a lasting relationship, not just a one-time event.

"When we land in a city, it's not just to make it happen and then leave. We plant roots for the future. This is the start of our partnership," he explained.

Although he cannot reveal who the 15 finalists will be, the VP shared that Brazilian interest in the award has grown significantly this year, with a substantial increase in nominations and submissions from the Latin American region.

By mid-2025, the award will have already recognized 60 finalists and 20 winners from over 5,000 nominations aimed at building a better, more sustainable future.

In 2023, Brazil was represented among the finalists by Belterra, a startup created by the mining company Vale to achieve its forest goals with a focus on restoration and regenerative agricultural practices.

The most recent edition was the most diverse yet, with a 40% increase in nominations from the Global South and from initiatives led by women and indigenous communities, David celebrated.

Ancestral wisdom at the center of solutions

One of the unique aspects of the Earthshot Prize is its approach, which centers on providing ongoing support to the winners.

"The prize exists to support innovators, creators, creatives, and leaders. When they win, we all win," declared Prince William.

In 2024, a platform was launched that connects innovators with funders to mobilize more resources. Since then, 250 active funders and 800 partnerships have been formed.

David highlights that this edition in Brazil places a special focus on valuing traditional and indigenous knowledge. It is no coincidence that the advisory board includes two leaders, one from Latin America and the other from Africa: Nemonte Nenquimo, an indigenous leader from Ecuador, and Hindou Ibrahim from Chad.

“Being in Brazil is an opportunity to celebrate and bring attention to the wisdom and respect that indigenous peoples and their solutions deserve,” the executive emphasized.

For Brazilian entrepreneurs, David leaves an optimistic message: “Believe in yourselves. The answers to the challenges exist. Human ingenuity is incredible.”

A five-year journey and concrete impacts

One of the organization’s concerns is to actively monitor all finalists, not just the winners, and build a kind of "global positive network." On this five-year journey, impact monitoring is conducted—and the numbers are already significant.

In total, the initiatives recognized have avoided the emission of 4.8 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, saved or reused 9 million tons of water, and restored 11 million hectares of land or ocean areas.

Among the success stories, David highlights Coral Vita, the winner in the ocean category in 2021. The global impact business focuses on marine ecosystem regeneration, utilizing cutting-edge technology to cultivate corals in critical areas and enhance their resilience to climate change impacts.

With the prize investment, the American founders achieved a remarkable feat: the first large-scale restoration on the coast of Grand Bahama, involving the planting of 6,000 coral fragments.

Another example is Notpla, a London-based startup that won in 2022 for its work in combating waste through the development of a seaweed and plant-based alternative to plastic.

The packaging is 100% biodegradable and can be used to store a variety of products, making it the only material in the world recognized by the European Union as free from single-use plastics. Since then, it has formed key partnerships with Bidfood UK, Just Eat in Spain and Belgium, and other major sporting events.

"The solution is being offered at stadiums in the UK and Ireland, at Wimbledon and the London Marathon," David proudly stated.

The challenge of implementation

Amid the success of attracting investments and partnerships, the VP identifies the biggest bottleneck in scaling environmental solutions: implementation.

"One common response I receive is that investment is crucial, but we’re seeing that implementation doesn’t always receive the same attention," he says. At the same time, he notes that it’s a "virtuous cycle" to secure more resources.

"It’s a real challenge to accelerate scaling, and many of our partners are dedicated to it," he added.

Earthshot Prize and COP30 in November

The Earthshot Prize in Rio de Janeiro is confirmed for November 5, with a schedule that will extend throughout the week and include other events near the Museum of Tomorrow. In addition to the main award, the global wildlife summit of United for Wildlife is also expected, with the potential presence of Prince William.

Asked about participation in COP30, which starts a week later on November 10, the American said he is 100% focused on the Rio de Janeiro event and does not yet know if he will be able to attend. "I understand that the meetings are complementary but very different and independent. At the end of the day, we work for the same purpose," he concluded.

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The text was translated with artificial intelligence. If you have any questions or corrections, please write to rafael.balago (at) exame.com.