Home / Environment / Earthshot Prize Fuels Environmental Turnaround: 58M Hectares Protected
Earthshot Prize Fuels Environmental Turnaround: 58M Hectares Protected
7 Oct
Summary
- 75 Finalists supported since 2020 have protected 58 million hectares of land.
- Over 85 million hectares of ocean and coastline have been protected or restored.
- Finalists avoided or captured over 18 million tonnes of CO₂e emissions.
Launched by Prince William, the Earthshot Prize has catalyzed substantial environmental action through its Finalist network. Since 2020, 75 supported Finalists have achieved remarkable feats, including the protection and restoration of 58 million hectares of land, forests, and freshwater systems. Concurrently, over 85 million hectares of ocean and coastline have been positively impacted.
The Prize's initiatives have also yielded significant climate benefits, with Finalists avoiding or capturing more than 18 million tonnes of CO₂e emissions. Further accomplishments include removing 465,000 tonnes of waste and saving 21 million tonnes of water, alongside improving air quality for 600 million people.
The 2026 Finalists, selected from nearly 7,000 nominations, are competing for five £1 million prizes at the upcoming Awards Night in Mumbai on November 17. This year's selection process integrated the science of positive tipping points, aiming to accelerate self-reinforcing beneficial change towards sustainability.
While these figures represent substantial progress, they are reported by the Earthshot Prize and not independently audited. The reported areas also use different definitions for land and ocean, and the overlap between them is not specified, meaning the total unique hectares may differ.
