Prince William Announces 2026 Earthshot Prize Finalists, Calls for Accelerated Climate Action

The 15 finalists announced Friday represent organizations developing solutions to climate change, pollution, habitat loss and other environmental threats, with winners in each of five categories receiving 1 million pounds ($1.34 million) and assistance in expanding their projects. The five winners to be announced in November will represent EarthShot's key categories: protecting and restoring nature, restoring oceans, cleaning the air, building a waste-free world, and repairing the climate. With nearly 7,000 nominations submitted across 169 countries, the selection process narrowed down to fifteen finalists tackling everything from clean energy to waste reduction, spanning diverse international efforts and highlighting grassroots resilience alongside technological innovation. India has two finalists this year: Mahindra Last Mile Mobility, a top electric three-wheeler manufacturer, and Mahila Housing Trust, a grassroots organization leading climate resilience efforts for low-income women. Filmmaker Karan Johar, currently hosting The Traitors India, shared his perspective on working alongside the British Royal Family with international media outlets, describing his passion for the cause as "infectious" and noting that it was a privilege to work so closely with the Earthshot Prize and William. William launched the prize in 2020, inspired by U.S. President John F. Kennedy's 1962 "Moonshot" speech that challenged Americans to go to the moon by the end of that decade, with the prince's goal to accelerate the pace of environmental innovation and "repair the planet" by 2030.