Mongabay · Climate & nature

Earthshot Prize Finalists Announced

Prince William's Earthshot Prize has revealed 15 finalists for its 2026 awards, recognizing innovative solutions to environmental challenges. Winners will receive 1 million pounds and support to scale their projects.

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, aiming to maintain wildlife migration routes in the Rocky Mountains, is among the finalists. The initiative collaborates with Indigenous peoples, ranchers, and governments to protect wild lands and build wildlife crossings over roads.

Launched in 2020, the Earthshot Prize, inspired by JFK's "Moonshot," seeks to accelerate environmental innovation and "repair the planet" by 2030.

Other nominees include an Argentine project using AI and satellite data for wildfire tracking, the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance targeting shipping emissions, and offshore wind developer Orsted.

Winners will be announced on November 17th in Mumbai.

Earthshot Prize CEO Jason Knauf highlighted that finalists like Yellowstone to Yukon work to overcome international barriers, emphasizing the widespread public desire to protect nature.

Yellowstone to Yukon, established in 1993, has facilitated the creation of 204 wildlife crossings and protected approximately 24 million hectares of land along the Rocky Mountains.

The initiative's president, Jodi Hilty, stated that their approach involves bringing diverse stakeholders together to ensure animals can move freely across landscapes, irrespective of human-made borders.

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