We always take inspiration from great stories well told and the Earthshot initiative set up by Prince William in 2020 does not disappoint.
Later in December (18th on BBC) we will get the full back story on royal involvement in this year’s awards event held in South Africa, but for now – if you have missed it – here is a quick snapshot of some of the 2024 winners that caught our eye.
Promoting a waste-free world
When fish were landed on the Kenyan shores of Lake Victoria, around 50% were being lost to inadequate cooling systems at the fishing ports. Keep It Cool, a Kenyan-based company, introduced solar powered refrigeration to help solve the problem.
As a result of their efforts, they’ve saved 25% of the catch that would have been wasted, and 3,600 fishermen have seen their incomes increase by more than 15%. Keep it Cool won the ‘waste-free world’ category.
Protecting and restoring nature
The Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative (ADCI) took the honours here by developing systems to track and protect the Saiga Antelope in the steppes of Kazakhstan.
The animal, once abundant, had been pushed to the brink of extinction by poaching and disease. Then in 2015, a warm, humid summer triggered a virus outbreak that wiped out 60% of the Saiga population, demonstrating how vulnerable they were to the effects of climate change.
ADCI tagged 250 Saiga Antelopes with telemetry devices to track their nomadic movements, allowing them to focus on protecting the antelopes’ breeding and feeding habitats. From a population of just 20,000 in 2003, the steppe is now home to 2.86 million Saiga – a real success story.
Reviving our oceans
High Ambition Coalition (HAC) won the ‘Revive our Oceans’ category aiming to push governments to commit and act to protect 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030.
Since its launch, HAC has rapidly expanded its mission, getting 120 countries to sign up to the ‘30×30’ target. Since 2021 it has doubled its signatories reflecting growing momentum behind the call to act.
By signing up countries commit to ‘stopping illegal land grabs, preventing resource extraction, and halting illegal overfishing in protected areas’.
Earthshot also recognised work ongoing by the group work with policymakers to expand protected zones, boost financial investments, provide technical expertise, and build cross-party political support.
Stories that reach across the globe
Not only is the Earthshot money – £1million to each winning initiative – making a rich difference in the communities they serve – its precious Royal leadership and individual stories make headline news which takes the message much wider and keeps the pressure on us all.
