Prince William’s Earthshot Prize: Finalists to fly to Singapore as organisers aim for bigger impact
This year, there has been a change in approach and all 15 finalists will fly to Singapore for the third annual ceremony on Nov 7.
Organisers say the event will be “significantly bigger” than in previous years, with a whole “Earthshot Week” taking place around the award ceremony.
An Earthshot retreat, which brings all finalists together to collaborate, exchange ideas and team up with potential financial backers, will take place in the days leading up to the show. Several other events are due to be announced in the coming weeks.
Sources admit that, as the event enters its third year, lessons have been learnt and organisers are being more ambitious as they try to create a bigger impact.
While it seemed the “smart and sensible” option to have finalists appear via video link in Boston, given that they were due to meet the following month in the UK, the thinking has now shifted.
A royal source added: “There’s a huge sense of excitement that the finalists are all going to be there on the night.”
The issue of travel is a thorny one for Earthshot organisers, whose very raison d’etre is to promote the protection of the planet.
However, those involved insist that lecturing people about their travel habits is not what the event is about.
“The Prince of Wales is never going to be the person who says, ‘I think people should stop driving their cars or stop getting on aeroplanes’,” one source said.
“What we want to do is show that there are viable projects that are really going to change the future trajectory of the planet, so rather than looking back, looking forward.
“The momentum, both internally but also externally around Earthshot is huge and Earthshot Week will really be capitalising on that excitement to make sure that we can not only inspire folks that are in Singapore, but inspire people across south-east Asia.”
With the first event having taken place in London, the second in Boston and the third in Asia, the smart money is on the fourth being held in Africa.
At the Windsor retreat, the Prince revealed that he wanted to hold the ceremony on the continent, suggesting that is likely to happen in 2024.
“Kenya and India, particularly, have really stepped up to the mark,” he told the finalists.
The firm focus for organisers is now on scaling up the projects of the 45 finalists that now form the “Earthshot family”. They admit it has already become “quite the juggernaut”.
