Prince William wants to “go further” with the 2022 Earthshot Prize in the hopes of doing more to “protect our world”.
The Duke of Cambridge held the inaugural Earthshot Prize Awards in October 2021, which honoured those who had gone above and beyond to promote impactful approaches to the world's most pressing environmental challenges.
And as William, 39, prepares for the prize’s second year, he has said he wants to open up the nominations to “even more” people from around the world to “spotlight and scale the very best ideas” for protecting the planet.
In a statement, he said: "The 2021 Winners and Finalists have set the bar incredibly high. As the nominations for 2022 open, I can't wait to see what solutions the Prize helps to champion this coming year.
"In 2022, we are determined to go further by seeking even more nominations from every corner of the world, ensuring that we spotlight and scale the very best ideas and innovations that will put our planet on a sustainable path and protect our world for generations to come."
The new search for eco-innovators will be led by a nomination network that has now expanded to 300 organizations and people from around the world.
In 2021, there were five prize winners who were awarded $1.3 million each, and those recipients – as well as 10 other finalists – will continue to receive mentoring throughout 2022 to help scale up their projects confronting press issues including climate change, plastic pollution and the degradation of the oceans.
Back in October, William said of the prize winners: "Seeing the incredible solutions that have been developed by the first winners of the Prize - and all of our finalists - shows us that the answers are out there.
“By recognising these efforts and supporting and scaling them to be the best they can be, we can inspire the confidence that a healthier, more sustainable future is within our grasp."
