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Earthshot Prize enlists KAUST to save the planet

Jan 25, 2021 Innovation

​Imagine a waste-free world where nature is protected and restored, the air is clean, oceans are revived, and the climate is fixed. Now imagine that you are among those tasked to make this happen.

KAUST is proud to be among a network of distinguished organizations from around the world chosen as official nominators on behalf of The Earthshot Prize—a visionary call-to-action for environmental change that provides £50 million in funding to pioneering individuals and/or institutions "working to save the planet before it's too late."

Launched in October 2020, the prize is the brainchild of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Sir David Attenborough, renowned naturalist and broadcaster, whose partnership and long-time friendship is rooted in their mutual commitment to championing the environment.

Sir David Attenborough and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, join forces in creating The Earthshot Prize, a pioneering environmental fund awarded to projects aimed at saving planet Earth. Photo: Courtesy of The Earthshot Prize.

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In beginning the search for the first winners of The Earthshot Prize, KAUST and other nominators will identify and submit the names of inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organizations whose work is advancing promising solutions to the world's biggest environmental challenges.

The prize addresses five key goals, referred to as Earthshots, including Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build A Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate.

The Earthshot Prize Council, a global team of influential individuals working in the environmental space, will consider nominees from all sectors, and award £1 million each to five winners every year for a decade (2021 to 2030), for a total of 50 prize recipients.

Winners will also be showcased with a prestigious profile on a global platform, with the goal that their solutions lead to mass adoption, replication and scaling. Shortlisted nominees will also be given support and opportunities to scale their work, including being connected with an ecosystem of like-minded individuals and organizations.

Of the more than 100 official nominators selected from around the world, KAUST is one of 41 universities, 14 participants from the Middle East and Africa, four countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the only representative from Saudi Arabia.

The name Earthshot draws inspiration from U.S. President John F. Kennedy's Moonshot, the space exploration program with a mission to the moon. Just as Moonshot was pioneering in vision and scale and for engaging global audiences, The Earthshot Prize is similarly ambitious for its collective call to repair human-caused damage to the earth and improve quality of life for generations to come.

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