Bangladesh’s SOLshare among finalists of Earthshot 2021 Award
Bangladesh's SOLshare, the world's first peer-to-peer energy exchange network in a country on the frontline of climate change, has been named as one of the 15 finalists for the Earthshot Prize 2021 to be announced Sunday.
Five winners will be selected by The Earthshot Prize Council and will receive £1million in prize money. Their initiative, SOLbazaar, is one of the three finalists for the prize in "Fix Our Climate" category.
Britain's Prince William will bestow the inaugural environmental prize at a gala ceremony in London broadcast by BBC and Discovery globally.
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SOLshare Head of Projects, Fundraising and Communications Salma Islam said, "We are thrilled to have been selected as one of the Finalists of the Earthshot Prize. Being the global pioneers of P2P microgrids here in Bangladesh, this is the culmination of all our hard work. It is an honor to be among solutions that are working to reduce the impacts of climate change and make the world a better place."
The Earthshot Prize announced their first-ever shortlist of 15 finalists, each with a chance of winning £1million to support their innovative environmental solutions to the greatest challenges facing the planet.
Created by Prince William and The Royal Foundation, The Earthshot Prize has led an unprecedented global search for the most inspiring and innovative solutions to the greatest environmental challenges facing the planet.
A total of 750 nominations were received across every continent from diverse coalition of over 200 nominators while the rigorous selection process lasting 10 months.
The 15 inaugural finalists from 14 countries have been selected by an Expert Advisory Panel. The Finalists include leaders, activists, innovators, a city and even an entire country, said a press release.
Prince William said "Over half a century ago, President Kennedy's 'Moonshot' programme united millions of people around the goal of reaching the moon. Inspired by this, The Earthshot Prize aims to mobilise collective action around our unique ability to innovate, problem solve and repair our planet."
"I am honoured to introduce the 15 innovators, leaders, and visionaries who are the first ever Finalists for The Earthshot Prize. They are working with the urgency required in this decisive decade for life on Earth and will inspire all of us with their optimism in our ability to rise to the greatest challenges in human history." he added.
Launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in October 2020, The Earthshot Prize is the most prestigious global environment prize in history. Like President John F. Kennedy's 'Moonshot' did almost 60 years ago, the Prize aims to unleash an unprecedented wave of innovation and leadership to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and the threats to our oceans, air, and land.
The Prize is an urgent call to action to the world and aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism, by championing inspiring leadership and helping to scale incredible cutting-edge solutions. It will discover 50 winners over 10 years with the power to repair the planet.
A truly global project, The Earthshot Prize has been developed by The Royal Foundation, which convened a diverse nominator coalition of more than 200 people and organisations around the world from every continent, a distinguished Expert Advisory Panel, and The Earthshot Prize Council comprising influential individuals committed to championingpositive environmental action.
The inaugural 15 Finalists were assessed by the Expert Advisory Panel of scientific, academic, and subject-matter leaders. Each of the Finalist's solutions excelled in the rigorous screening process and were assessed on their potential to create game-changing impact around the world, their ability to help us reach our Earthshot goals while also positively impacting people, communities and the natural world.
Other Earthshot Prize Finalists for 2021 are:
Protect and Restore Nature:
Pole Pole Foundation, Democratic Republic of Congo
An inspiring community-led model of conservation that protects gorillas and local livelihoods.
The Republic of Costa Rica
A pioneering scheme paying local citizens to restore natural ecosystems that has led to a revival of the rainforest.
Restor, Switzerland
A ground-breaking online platform connecting and empowering local conservation projects.
Clean our Air:
The Blue Map App, China
China's first public environmental database enabling citizens to hold polluters to account.
Takachar, India
A pioneering technology to create profitable products from agricultural waste and put a stop to the burning of crops.
Vinisha Umashankar, India
A 14-year-old innovator and activist who has designed a solar-powered ironing cart with the potential to improve air quality across India.
Revive our Oceans:
Coral Vita, Bahamas
A truly cutting-edge breakthrough in coral farming that can restore our world's dying coral reefs.
Living Seawalls, Australia
Innovative and replicable seawall panels bringing marine life back to coastal sea defences.
Pristine Seas, USA
An unprecedented global conservation programme protecting 6.5 million square km of the world's ocean.
Build a Waste-Free World:
The City of Milan Food Waste Hubs, Italy
A city-wide initiative that has dramatically cut waste while tackling hunger. –
Sanergy, Kenya
A circular sanitation solution that converts human waste into safe products for localfarmers.
WOTA BOX, Japan
A tiny water treatment plant that turns 98% of wastewater into clean water. Fix our Climate:
AEM Electrolyser, Thailand/Germany/Italy
An ingenious green hydrogen technology developed to transform how we power our homes and buildings.
Reeddi Capsules, Nigeria
Solar-powered energy capsules making electricity affordable and accessible in energy-poor communities.
All 15 Finalists will receive tailored support and resources from The Earthshot Prize Global Alliance Members, an unprecedented network of private sector businesses around the world who will help scale their solutions to realise an even greater impact with their ground-breaking work.
