BY 2030, WE CHOOSE TO ENSURE THAT, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HUMAN HISTORY, THE NATURAL WORLD IS GROWING – NOT SHRINKING – ON OUR PLANET
“With only a few weeks to go before Earthshot 2022 in Boston. We thought it only fitting, and timely, to showcase once again the amazing resolve, intelligence, and creativity of the 2021 Earthshot Winner for Protect and Restore Nature”.
Species all over the world face extinction as their homes are destroyed, but destroying nature threatens our lives too. Forests and natural land are vital to human health and happiness, helping to prevent global warming and producing oxygen that we breathe. We must act now to protect our future. We choose to repair and preserve the habitats that our animals need to live, from rainforests and grasslands, to wetlands, lakes and rivers.
We will award The Earthshot Prize to the most outstanding efforts to meet this challenge. To the conservationists who put a stop to poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking; to the landowners who create job opportunities for people who look after natural land; and to the entrepreneurs who help scale solutions for planting billions more trees that will secure the health and safety of generations to come.
Meet the incredible individuals and teams selected as the inaugural Winners & Finalists for The Earthshot Prize. After an unprecedented global search for the most innovative solutions to the greatest environmental challenges facing our planet, we are proud to present the first-ever cohort of Earthshot Prize Winners & Finalists.
Each of our five Winners will receive £1million prize money, a beautiful and one-of-a-kind Earthshot Prize medal, and a global network of professional and technical support to scale these cutting-edge environmental solutions.
Together this team includes incredible leaders, inspiring activists, brilliant innovators, a forward-thinking city and even an entire country making a real difference. All 15 of our inaugural Prize Finalists will receive tailored support to help scale their solutions and realise an even greater impact with their ground-breaking work.
In the 1990s, the vast forests of costa rica were devastated by unregulated exploitation to half their former size. But costa rica’s government had a plan to save them, compensating costa ricans to plant trees and restore ecosystems.
Protect and Restore Nature – Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s forests doubled in size, flora and fauna thrived, leading to a boom in ecotourism that has injected $4billion to the economy. Since winning the 2021 Protect and Restore Nature Earthshot, Costa Rica continues to be a leader driving the global environmental agenda, signing an extension of its marine reserves into law (Dec. 2021) which has increased its protected marine area from 3% of its ocean territory to the High Ambition Coalition target of 30%.
This prompted the Bezos Earth Fund to provide additional grants totalling $30M to support organisations working in Costa Rica (and Colombia, Ecuador, Panama) to strengthen the Eastern Tropical Marine Corridor at the UN Oceans Conference. The recognition of Costa Rica in the 2021 Earthshot Prize has driven significant global media coverage, celebrating the country as a ‘green leader’.
And in addition, through The Earthshot Prize, Costa Rica has been able to partner with fellow 2021 finalist Restor who will track thousands of small payments for Ecoystem Services Reforestation Projects and the total new forest cover being achieved by Costa Rica. This will enable ever-smarter national policy decisions on reforestation, enhanced performance of the individual reforestation projects, and will empower Costa Rica to easily demonstrate its progress in meeting its COP26 reforestation pledge.
Only 30 years ago, our ecosystems were in decline after decades of irrational exploitation, as is much of our planet today. But by creating visionary policies and engaging local and indigenous communities, we stopped and reversed deforestation, benefitting our communities, nature and economy. We are humbled by this recognition from The Earthshot Prize and honoured to be among such inspiring Finalists that share our vision. Andrea Meza Murillo, Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica
“With only a few weeks to go before Earthshot 2022 in Boston. We thought it only fitting, and timely, to showcase the amazing resolve, achievements, and creativity of the 2021 Earthshot Winners”.
