The Earthshot Prize

David Attenborough: Our planet has been a good home to us.

It has fed us, clothed us, given us reliable rains, and clean air for our lungs.

Earth has met our needs, fueled our growth... [Vehicle horn honks] and absorbed our waste.

It's enabled us to prosper, but many of us continue to demand more.

And today, the escalating disasters... the failing soils... the emptying seas show that we are asking too much of our home.

The injustice is that the people that have demanded the least are feeling the effects most profoundly.

But we can live both well and responsibly on our planet.

The work to create a healthy world for ourselves and the rest of life on earth has already begun.

It's a long shot, an Earthshot.

But we are up to the challenge.

Tonight we celebrate those who are leading the way to this better future.

This is the Earthshot Prize 2023.

[Cheering and applause] Announcer: Please welcome your hosts Hannah Waddingham and Sterling K. Brown.

[Cheering and applause] Hello, and welcome to the Earthshot Prize 2023.

We're in beautiful Singapore, and can we just say a huge thank you to the Voices of Singapore Choir for opening the show and, of course, to Sir David Attenborough!

[Cheering and applause] We are so delighted to have you with us for the biggest environmental awards on the planet.

After previous ceremonies in London and Boston, it is a great pleasure to be here in the gateway to Southeast Asia.

Thank you so much for having us.

Amen.

[Applause] We are here to celebrate remarkable people from across the world who are developing solutions to huge issues that affect us all.

They give us real hope for the future.

That's right, Sterling.

Tonight we will find out which of our 15 finalists will be awarded one of five Earthshot Prizes.

This truly is a massive night for them, because each of the winners will receive �1 million... Whoo!

to boost their work.

I know, right?

[Applause] Yes.

Now, just think about that.

�1 million sterling.

I know.

[Laughter] No, �1 million sterling.

I know.

I'm right here, Hannah.

What are you-- Think it through.

Never mind.

Ah!

British money.

There we go...

I got you.

I got you.

All of tonight's finalists will be given a huge amount of support from the Earthshot Prize, starting right now.

This week in Singapore, they're meeting leaders and experts who can help them scale their ideas up.

And I'm very pleased to say that for the first time ever, all 15 finalists are here with us tonight.

Yes.

Give it up.

[Applause] And they are in excellent company, too.

Tonight the stars are out as a whole host of very famous faces join us in Singapore to recognize the work of our incredible nominees.

[Applause] And if that wasn't enough, the founder of the Earthshot Prize, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, will be joining us right here on this stage.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

No, no, he's not.

Yeah.

No, he's right there in the front row.

No.

Hold on.

Sterling: Yeah.

That is a very good looky likey.

No, ma'am.

No.

That's him.

Are you sure that's-- 100%.

Hello, sir.

[Laughter] It's a big night, so I think we should kick things off with some music.

What do you say?

Yes, let's do it.

These guys are real champions for the environment.

They also happen to be one of the biggest bands in the world.

Please welcome the incredible...

Both: One Republic!

[Cheering] Lately, I've been I've been losing sleep Dreaming about the things that we could be And, baby, I've been, I've been praying hard Said, No more counting dollars We'll be counting stars Oh, we'll be counting stars Ooh I see this life Like a swinging vine Swing my heart across the line And in my face is flashing signs Seek it out and ye shall find Old, but I'm not that old Young, but I'm not that bold And I don't think the world is sold On just doing what we're told Now, I Feel something so right Doing the wrong thing I Feel something so wrong Doing the right thing Oh I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie Everything that kills me Makes me feel alive Lately, I've been I've been losing sleep Come on!

Dreaming about the things that we could be And, baby, I've been, I've been praying hard Said, No more counting dollars We'll be counting stars Come on!

Lately, I've been I've been losing sleep, oh, no Dreaming about the things that we could be And, baby, I've been, I've been praying hard Said, No more counting dollars We'll be We'll be counting stars Oh oh, yeah, yeah Take that money, watch it burn Sink in the river the lessons I've learned You can take that money, watch it burn Sink in the river the lessons I've learned Baby, take that money, watch it burn Sink in the river the lessons I've learned Baby, take that money, watch it burn Sink in the river the lessons I've learned Everything that kills me, yeah Makes me feel alive Lately, I've been I've been losing sleep Come on!

Dreaming about the things that we could be Lately, I've been, I've been praying hard Said, No more counting dollars We'll be counting stars Lately, I've been I've been losing sleep, oh, no Dreaming about the things that we could be And lately, I've been, I've been praying hard Said, No more counting dollars We'll be We'll be counting stars Watch it burn Sink in the river the lessons I've learned You can take that money, watch it burn Sink in the river the lessons I've learned Baby, take that money, watch it burn Sink in the river the lessons I've learned Baby, take that money, watch it burn Sink in the river The lessons I've learned [Cheering and applause] It's an honor to be here tonight.

The way I see it, I think we got 3 possibilities as a species.

Number one, we figure out how to get to the nearest habitable planet, which is about 6,300 years away, 4.2 light years.

Number two, terraform Mars.

Google that.

It's not fun.

Number three, pretend this is the place that we got, the one place we got, don't bury our heads in the sand, don't let politics get in the way, actually care and take care of our own home.

Those are the 3 possibilities.

I choose number three.

That's why I'm here tonight.

[Cheering and applause] Oh!

I mean, the sensational One Republic!

Give it up one more time.

Hannah: Whoo!

What a treat.

Sterling: I need a tambourine or something, man.

OK, let's get going with the first award, shall we?

It's the Earthshot for Protect and Restore Nature.

Now, our growing human footprint is putting the natural world under threat like never before, so it truly needs protecting, because it really is our greatest ally in the fight against climate change.

Fortunately, people across the globe are forming initiatives to help safeguard our natural world, and the 3 finalists in this category represent the very best of them.

And so here to present the Earthshot for Protect and Restore Nature, we have an absolute force of nature.

Yes, we do.

As well as being a member of the Earthshot Prize Council-- that means she gets to vote for the winners, everyone-- Got it.

she's also one of the very finest actors on the planet.

Mm-hmm.

We could list all her accolades, but to be honest, we'd be here all night.

So instead, let's just say please welcome two-time Academy Award winner...

Both: Cate Blanchett.

[Cheering and applause] There are millions of different life forms on Earth working together in complex ways to create a balanced biosphere.

It's what keeps our planet stable.

But we're learning just how fragile this ecosystem is.

So it's time we worked with nature rather than against it.

And the nominees in this category are finding brilliant new ways to do just that.

Here with solutions that give genuine cause for hope are the three finalists doing remarkable things to protect and restore nature.

Accin Andina is one of the largest efforts to restore native forest in South America.

Waddingham: The high Andean forests of South America are vital for both biodiversity and communities, but they've been severely depleted.

Co-founded by Florent Kaiser and Constantino Aucca Chutas, Accin Andina brings local and indigenous communities together to carry out conservation activities.

The team believe they have planted around 10 million trees, which not only restores the forests, but also enables the capture of vital fresh water for people across the region.

By 2045, Accin Andina aim to protect and restore one million hectares of high-Andean forests and ecosystems.

Kaiser: It started as a project.

It is now becoming a movement led by the people.

Waddingham: Founded by Valmir Ortega, the team at Belterra develop partnerships with farmers to help transform land that has been degraded in part due to deforestation and unsustainable farming.

They promote agroforestry systems where they grow crops amongst trees and shrubs, and Belterra then connect the farmers with buyers and co-operatives, boosting farmers' incomes.

Belterra have already established 1,800 hectares of agroforestry areas, and by 2030, they hope to restore 40,000 hectares of forest across Brazil.

Freetown the Treetown is the city's effort to plant, grow, and digitally track one million trees.

Waddingham: Freetown in Sierra Leone has experienced deforestation due in part to rapid urban expansion, increasing the risk of landslides and flooding.

Led by Manja Kargbo, Freetown the Treetown is a city-led initiative to help restore the landscape.

Working with local communities, individuals are paid to plant and monitor trees that are then tracked via an online platform.

The city is on course to plant one million trees by 2024, and, thanks to their tree guardians, they claim tree survival rates of around 80%.

I want Freetown to inspire other cities to be greener and safer.

[Cheering and applause] They're all outstanding.

I'm sure you'll agree.

But now it's time to reveal the winner, who'll receive �1 million to elevate their project.

The Earthshot Prize for Protect and Restore Nature goes to... Accin Andina.

[Cheering] [Louder cheering, applause] On the name of all the local communities along all the high Andes, I want to say thank you so much.

Even in the name of our partners, our families, ECOAN, Global Forest Generation.

This is, yes, hope, future, economy, and the future of all the kids.

We are going to plant more, of course.

Pap, mam, lo hicimos de nuevo, icarajo!

[Cheering and applause] Accin Andina is much more than a project in the Andes.

It is a symbol of hope.

It is a living proof that radical collaboration on a global scale is possible.

And that unity in face of climate and human crisis, it's our biggest challenge.

Thank you, everybody here.

Thank you for this amazing Earthshot community.

Thank you, my friend Tino.

Thank you so much.

[Cheering and applause] Interviewer: If you had to sum it up, what is the point of the Earthshot Prize?

Small question.

They call it a prize, but it's really a movement.

That's what we need, right?

Vaitea Cowan: It's really groups of individuals tackling, like, our biggest challenges today.

It's really trying to galvanize collective action.

The Earthshot Prize has helped elevate our work.

We have doubled in size as an organization.

It has brought us quite a lot of attention.

It has given us an opportunity and the resources to reach and impact more lives.

Right now, we're walking around kind of with a--with a label which says, "Take this guy serious."

To me, the point of the Earthshot Prize is to bring everyone together.

I see this community as the immune system of the planet.

To see the work people are doing, it gives hope.

It inspires.

You know, the sense of belonging, that we're all in it together.

We feel a bit better that we know that we're not walking alone.

It's a case of everyone's success is, is all our success.

We need many more people dreaming about Earthshots.

As we bring in more finalists and more, more, more winners, it's just, it's just going to be--gets more, more beautiful.

[Applause] Those were just some of the winners and finalists from the past two years, and we can't wait to find out who else will be joining them tonight.

The Earthshot Prize continues to support the work of all previous finalists, so we are very pleased to welcome this year's finalists to the growing Earthshot family.

These guys already are doing extraordinary things to build a better future, and now they'll be given vital support to help take it to the next level.

Indeed.

So on to the next Earthshot, which is all about solutions to clean our air.

And it's particularly fitting here in Singapore, a city where even the skyscrapers are beautifully covered in plant life to help cleanse the atmosphere.

That's because dirty air, particularly in cities, can lead to ill health and even death.

So it's absolutely vital that we have people, like our finalists, who are taking action.

And speaking of action, this guy knows all about it.

OK.

Here to present the Earthshot for Clean Our Air is a movie icon.

He is also a director and a martial arts expert.

So if I were you, I would totally do as he says.

I'm gonna.

[Laughter] Hey, please welcome the incredible...

Both: Donnie Yen.

[Cheering and applause] According to the World Health Organization, 99% of the world's population breathes unhealthy air every day.

That almost certainly includes you and I and pretty much everyone in this room.

Can we do anything about it?

Well, the nominees in this category are living proof that the answer is yes.

Thanks to projects like theirs, we have real cause for optimism.

So let's hear more about the amazing things our finalists are doing to clean our air.

[Applause] ENSO makes tyres for electric cars to reduce tyre pollution and to extend electric vehicle range.

Waddingham: As tyres degrade, they fill our air with harmful particles, producing 6 million tons of tyre-related pollution globally each year, which can have adverse impacts on our health.

In London, Gunnlaugur Erlendsson and the team at ENSO are dedicated to combating the issue.

By using higher-grade materials, better chemistry and manufacturing, ENSO produce highly durable tyres and claim to reduce damaging air pollutants by around 35%.

By 2026, ENSO plan to manufacture over one million low-emission tyres every year.

ENSO has the power to move this industry forward.

Polish Smog Alert is a movement, is a movement of people who want to breathe clean air.

Waddingham: Around 40,000 people die from air pollution-related illnesses across Poland each year, caused in part by the burning of wood and coal in people's homes.

Alarmed by slow political action, co-founders Andrzej Gula, Anna Dworakowska, and Ewa Lutomska launched Polish Smog Alert.

They campaign for clean-air legislation and support people to switch to cleaner fuel.

In Krakow, the team have had success in changing the law, banning the use of coal and wood burning for heating.

By 2026, Polish Smog Alert hope to eliminate coal burning in a million homes across Poland.

Dworakowska: My hope for the future is that inhabitants of the whole country, of whole Poland, will be able to breathe clean air.

Waddingham: Mass adoption of electric vehicles could help to cut air pollution, but with this comes a greater demand for batteries and lithium, with its own impact on the environment.

Justin Hung and the team at GRST have developed a cleaner way to build and recycle lithium-ion batteries.

Using a unique water-based production and recycling system, they claim to reduce the amount of chemicals used in the process and help to get cleaner modes of transport on the road.

GRST aim to become a major global provider of batteries this decade.

[Applause] I'm delighted to announce that the Earthshot for Clean Our Air goes to--Let's see-- GRST.

[Cheering and applause] [Applause continues] Well, thank you to the Earthshot for organizing this unbelievable event.

Winning this prize is a huge recognition of our work in the attempts to clean our air to save the Earth.

And I will use this prize to engage everyone in this planet to scale the using of a truly sustainable lithium-ion battery in their everyday life.

Frank?

[Applause] With the love and support of the Earthshot family and the power of the Earthshot platform, we can now start sharing the magic of water, using water to make beautiful, sustainable batteries to clean our air and heal the planet.

We can do this together.

Thank you.

[Cheering and applause] Well done, GRST.

We've got plenty more awards on the way, as well as incredible performances from Bastille and Bebe Rexha, and His Royal Highness Prince William joining us here onstage.

Well, we can't wait for that.

And speaking of Prince William, it's 3 years since he founded the Earthshot Prize, inspired by President John F. Kennedy's Moonshot Challenge, an ambitious plan to put people on the moon.

This ambitious plan, Earthshot, aims to find solutions to Earth's major environmental issues.

And since its launch, the winners and finalists have received huge support in their mission to drive change.

And exciting progress has already been made as both the Prince and Princess of Wales saw firsthand when they revisited 2021 Earthshot winners Coral Vita.

Prince William: Right now I'm standing on the beach where Coral Vita won the prize in 2021.

[Applause] So it's wonderful to finally be here and feel like I've come round in a full circle.

Touring the Prince and Princess around our coral farm, and not only seeing our work in person but really advocating on our behalf was absolutely amazing.

Prince William: It's been wonderful to go and experience one of the Earthshot Prizes firsthand, snorkeling, getting down in the water, and seeing the project.

The clarity of the water, it was beautiful.

And then actually seeing what the guys and girls are doing by screwing in the coral and giving this new coral a chance to regenerate.

Sam Teicher: What's next for Coral Vita is more coral farms around the world, so that we can ensure that coral reefs are surviving and thriving for future generations, because that's what our world needs.

[Applause] Sterling: Incredible work.

We'll be hearing more from His Royal Highness when he joins us onstage later.

Uh, did you tell him not to wear the flippers and the snorkel?

Yes, yes.

Of course I did.

All right.

Good job... [Laughter] Actually, do you know what?

Speaking of what we're all wearing.

Yes.

Come on.

What do you think?

[Cheering and applause] Oh!

No, really, stop.

I could say a lot.

I will just say you look gorgeous.

Well, so do you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Pre-loved.

Pre-loved.

Pre-worn...

Yes, yes.

Of course.

A little zhuzh along the way here and there.

I like it.

I like it.

And like most of the clothes you'll see onstage tonight, we've all dug things out of the back of our wardrobes.

And don't we all look very fancy?

Come on, now.

As well as our amazing set.

All this will be reused after the show, planted out right here in Singapore, which brings us to the next award, the Earthshot to Build a Waste-Free World.

The finalists for this award are taking giant leaps to help us reuse, repurpose, and recycle.

And here to present it, we have someone who is renowned, respected, and remarkable.

I like that.

It's the brilliant actress...

Both: Lana Condor.

[Applause] In nature, there's no such thing as waste.

What's left behind by one becomes useful to the next.

So imagine what our world could look like if human beings could take a leaf out of nature's book?

In a waste-free world, all disposable products are degradable, things that are built to last are repairable, anything we overproduce gets put to use, and even our most stubborn materials can be recycled forever.

Let's hear about the finalists and how they're helping to build a waste-free world.

[Applause] Circ is a process development company.

We've developed a solution that can recycle blended textiles.

Waddingham: Blended textiles-- such as polycotton, a mix of cotton and polyester-- contribute significantly to textile waste.

In the U.S., Peter Majeranowski and the team at Circ have developed a hydrothermal process that takes polycotton textiles and separates the polyester and cotton, allowing them to be reused in the production of new textiles.

Circ's 2030 goal is to recycle 10 billion garments, but that's just the beginning.

At S4S, we convert farm losses to food products using solar-powered food-processing technology.

Waddingham: In India, farmers lose up to 40% of their produce after harvest due to a lack of storage or transportation.

Nidhi Pant and a group of university friends came together to try and solve this issue.

S4S now equips smallholder women farmers with the means to preserve surplus or damaged crops and convert them into food ingredients.

Using solar dryers and a nationwide distribution network, they are empowering female farmers to earn additional income whilst reducing food waste.

Pant: We want to work with 3 million smallholder farmers and 10,000 women micro-entrepreneurs and help them come out of poverty.

Orr Yarkoni: We engineer microorganisms to produce, deposit, and fix dyes and pigments directly onto fabrics, removing all of the chemistry from the dyeing process and replacing it with biology.

Waddingham: Fabric dyeing consumes 5 trillion tons of water every year, and chemically synthesised dyes are a major pollutant to our rivers and oceans.

In the UK, Orr Yarkoni and the team at Colorifix are creating dyes with fewer chemicals, reducing pollution and the amount of water used in the dyeing process.

Using DNA codes from colours found in nature, they engineer microbes to recreate the colours and fix them onto fabrics using natural, rather than chemical, processes.

By 2030, Colorifix hope to dye 15% of the world's clothes.

Ultimately, our goal is to benefit the planet as a whole.

[Applause] Those are all the ingenious solutions to real problems.

So let's find out who's won.

The Earthshot for Build a Waste-Free World goes to... S4S Technologies.

[Cheering and applause] Namaste.

We accept this award on behalf of all the women farmers who have taken leadership-- to fight climate change.

We would have not come this far if it was not the persistence of our team, the collaboration between our partners and the trust of our customers.

This prize brings us closer to our dream, a dream to build a waste-free world in the most equitable and sustainable way, by empowering 10 million farmers and making them more climate resilient, and making a world where every woman has a dignified access to economical opportunities.

We are grateful to the Earthshot Prize team, and we invite all the Global Alliance partners to work with us to defend the planet, to demand equity, and to defeat poverty.

Thank you so much.

[Cheering and applause] S4S, everybody.

Hee hee!

Right.

Whoo.

You know what?

What's that?

I feel some more music coming on.

All right, now.

Come on.

Great.

You want to tell everybody what the song is?

"I'm Good."

All right.

Fair enough.

No.

"I'm Good."

I heard you.

I don't want to be--whatever.

Sterling... Huh?

The song's called "I'm Good."

Oh, Jiminy Christmas.

I can't believe I've embarrassed myself in front of all these people again.

It's all right.

It's not that there's anyone watching at all.

No, just the world, right?

Performing that massive worldwide hit-- What's it called?

"I'm Good"!

Thank you.

That's the one.

It's the amazing...

Both: Bebe Rexha!

[Applause] I'm good, yeah, I'm feelin' all right Baby, I'mma have the best freakin' night of my life And wherever it takes me, I'm down for the ride Baby, don't you know I'm good?

Yeah, I'm feelin' all right 'Cause I'm good, yeah, I'm feelin' all right Baby, I'mma have the best freakin' night of my life And wherever it takes me, I'm down for the ride Are you guys ready?

[Cheering] Let's go!

1, 2, 3!

Don't you know I'm good?

Yeah, I'm feelin' all right You know I'm down for whatever tonight I don't need the finer things in life No matter where I go, it's a good time Yeah, yeah And I I don't need to sit in VIP Middle of the floor, that's where I'll be Don't got a lot, but that's enough for me Yeah, yeah 'Cause I'm good, yeah, I'm feelin' all right Baby, I'mma have the best freakin' night of my life And wherever it takes me, I'm down for the ride Come on, everybody!

Get up.

Let's go!

[Cheering] 1, 2, 3, jump!

I'm good Good I'm good So I just let it go, let it go Oh, na na na na na No, I don't care no more, care no more Oh, na na na na na So come on, let me know, let me know Put your hands up, na na na!

Nothing's gonna stop us tonight!

'Cause I'm good Yeah, I'm feelin' all right Baby I'mma have the best freakin' night of my life Wherever it takes me, I'm down for the ride Hey, hey, hey!

[Cheering and applause] Thank you so much.

Thank you.

[Cheering and applause] Whoo-hoo!

Yes!

Thanks to the phenomenal Bebe Rexha.

Man, she is good!

She really is good, ladies and gentlemen.

Ooh, yeah!

And we've got more music on the way from the amazing Bastille.

And, of course, His Royal Highness Prince William will be joining us onstage in a bit later, too.

It's time for the next award, which focuses on perhaps the greatest test for our tiny planet-- climate change.

Once again, our finalists are finding ways to tackle this massive challenge.

Here to present Fix Our Climate is a brilliant South African actress and humanitarian.

Please welcome the wonderful Nomzamo Mbatha.

[Applause] Thank you, Sterling.

Thank you.

Hannah.

Now, this wonderful, beautiful, brilliant planet is the only home we have.

But whether we like it or not, human activity is the main cause of climate change.

However, that does mean that humans can do something about it.

Brilliant people around the world are putting their incredible skill and invention and ingenuity to work, and finding practical ways to reduce carbon in our atmosphere.

The great thing is those ideas can improve our everyday lives-- cheaper, more affordable energy, healthier diets, and even cleaner streets.

So let's meet the finalists and hear about the amazing work that they're doing to fix our climate.

[Applause] At Boomitra, we work with farmers and ranchers all around the world to increase soil carbon levels by implementing improved agricultural practices.

Waddingham: Across the world, land use intensification and climate change have degraded the earth's soil, but Aadith Moorthy and the team at Boomitra are working with farmers to improve the health of their soil.

They do this by supporting farmers and ranchers to adopt regenerative practices, which has an additional benefit of helping to capture carbon from the air.

Boomitra then use satellite technology to monitor and verify the volume of carbon sequestered in the soil and hand the revenue from carbon credits back to the farmers.

Now working with 150,000 farmers, Boomitra have a target to store one gigaton of carbon dioxide in the soil by 2030.

Moorthy: At Boomitra, we enable farmers all around the world to be a key part of the solution.

Aquacycl is a company that provides technology and services for distributed wastewater treatments of agriculture, industry, and sanitary waste.

Waddingham: Treating wastewater before it re-enters rivers and oceans is vital for protecting people and the planet, but wastewater treatment can be an energy-intensive process.

In the U.S., Orianna Bretschger and the team at Aquacycl use naturally existing bacteria to treat wastewater and generate electricity in the process.

Aquacycl are already working with multinational companies and claim to cut the carbon emissions of their wastewater treatment by up to 50%.

They aim to expand to new continents in the next few years.

Bretschger: The implications of our technology out in the world is to ultimately mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

Sea Forest is an environmental technology company focused on the mitigation of livestock methane emissions using a seaweed native to Australia and New Zealand called asparagopsis.

Waddingham: The raising of livestock emits large amounts of methane, one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere.

Environmentalist Sam Elsom and the team at Sea Forest have developed ways to cultivate the seaweed on a large scale, and from this, they make their SeaFeed supplement, which, when fed to livestock, has the potential to reduce their methane emissions by up to 98%.

Sea Forest say they've already produced more than a million doses of SeaFeed and claim the capacity to reach 15% of Australia's cattle.

We have a solution that can create a huge impact today.

[Cheering and applause] What worthy, brilliant finalists, and thank you for your incredible work.

I think it's time we reveal the winner.

I will try and not mess this up.

Congratulations, Boomitra.

[Cheering] Your Royal Highness, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Boomitra family, it is my deep honor and privilege to accept this award in the Earthshot Prize.

We hope that--right now, we are on the scale of around, like, 150,000-plus farmers, 5 million acres, and around 10 million-plus tons of CO2 removed.

But in order to truly move the needle on climate change, we need to add two more zeros to all of those numbers.

With the Earthshot Prize and the support, not just the financial but also the acceleration support, we aim to do just that, so that we can enable all the farmers worldwide, and especially throughout the Global South, to be a key part of the solution to keeping this planet pristine.

Thank you.

[Cheering and applause] Congratulations to Boomitra.

Beautiful words.

Yes.

And that brings us to our final award of the night, Revive Our Oceans.

Almost 3/4 of the Earth's surface is covered by water.

So for a healthy planet, we need healthy oceans.

But the fact is, our collective actions continue to have negative impacts on our seas each year.

That's why projects like those led by the finalists in this category need all the support they can get.

So here to introduce them and to present the Earthshot for Revive Our Oceans, we have a conservationist... OK... a TV presenter, a wildlife photographer... That's cool.

and an all-round Australian national treasure.

What?

How many people is that?

That's one person, Sterling.

Gee whiz.

[Laughter] And if you think that's impressive, he's 19, people.

Please welcome the amazing...

Both: Robert Irwin.

[Cheering and applause] Generations ago, fishing communities talked of shoals so thick, they could walk on them; giant seaweed forests spread across endless miles of coastline; whales journeyed huge distances in their thousands.

The seas kept the world in good health, enriching life on Earth.

Tonight's three finalists are working with our oceans in the most innovative ways to restore them back to their vibrant past, support communities along our coasts, and to help combat climate change.

These are the nominees who really are making waves and finding brilliant solutions to revive our oceans.

[Applause] Serge Raemaekers: At Abalobi, we work with traditional fishers to co-innovate technologies that nurture ocean stewardship.

Waddingham: Illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing practices have contributed in part to pressure on global fish stocks.

In South Africa, Serge Raemaekers and the team at Abalobi have co-developed an app where fishers can register their catch and provide evidence of sustainability.

The app connects them with a digital marketplace, increasing transparency for potential customers and helping fishers gain a fair price.

Today, Abalobi support around 2,000 fishers in South Africa and fishers in 12 other countries around the world.

Raemaekers: My hope for the future is to build a network of coastal communities collecting data and sharing that knowledge to futureproof our fisheries.

Rocky Sanchez Tirona: Coastal 500 is a global network of locally elected government leaders who support their communities in protecting their ecosystems and their fisheries.

Waddingham: Overfishing, pollution, and rising sea temperatures threaten coastal ecosystems and the livelihoods of coastal communities.

Launched in the Philippines by Rocky Sanchez Tirona, Coastal 500 connects local government leaders through a global network.

When they join, members take a pledge and are supported in sharing ideas, enforcing conservation policies, and advocating for small-scale fishers.

Currently, Coastal 500's 164 leaders represent 1.6 million people living near coastlines across the tropics, and within the next few years, they hope to treble that number.

I think Coastal 500 can change the world one community at a time.

WildAid's blueprint is a program in which we guide partners to ensure that they have a complete marine protection system.

Waddingham: Around 60% of the world's marine protected areas have little to no effective protection in place.

Led by Meaghan Brosnan, WildAid's Marine Program has a blueprint to help turn this around.

By uniting governments, charities, and non-profit organisations around the world, they help to provide the tools, technology, and resources needed to build law-enforcement capacity.

Currently working across an estimated 1.6 million square kilometres of ocean, they are helping marine life to recover and improving livelihoods.

Brosnan: My hope is that we can make progress towards having 250 marine areas in our network.

[Applause] All right.

Now time for the exciting bit, where we get to find out who has won.

And the Earthshot for Revive Our Oceans goes to... WildAid Marine Program.

Whoo-hoo!

[Applause] [Applause continues] Oh, boy.

OK. [Laughter] We stand before you representing WildAid's Global Marine Team, a team that has dedicated their entire careers to realizing vibrant and healthy oceans, a team that is helping hundreds of local partners who are working incredibly hard to create effective enforcement systems protecting their coastal waters.

Every single finalist that is in this room deserves to be on this stage.

[Cheering and applause] Conservation is a team sport, guys, and I am so glad that we are going to be entering this decade together.

I cannot wait to see the magic that we make together.

[Cheering] WildAid, everyone.

[Applause continues] And so... we have our 2023 Earthshot Prize winners.

They give us cause for optimism, and we cannot wait to see what they achieve in the years to come.

Let's have a huge round of applause for them and all our incredible finalists.

Hannah: Indeed!

[Cheering] The Earthshot Prize now supports dozens of environmental solutions, but that's just the beginning.

And don't just take our word for it, though.

Please welcome the founder and president of the Earthshot Prize, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

[Applause] The last year has been one of great change and even greater challenge, a year in which the effects of the climate crisis have become too visible to be ignored, and a year that has left so many feeling defeated, their hope dwindling.

However, as we have seen tonight, hope does remain.

The light of optimism is burning bright in our Earthshot finalists, from Boomitra, S4S, and Accin Andina to GRST and WildAid Marine.

Our winners and all our finalists remind us that no matter where you are on our planet, the spirit of ingenuity and the ability to inspire change surrounds us all.

We express our deepest gratitude to Singapore for hosting our third Earthshot Prize ceremony.

Few places demonstrate so well how the natural and urban worlds can coexist.

A great city, leveraging technology and innovation to help repair and regenerate our planet.

I choose to believe that future generations will look back on this decade as the point at which we globally took collective action for our planet, the moment we refused to accept the voices of denial and defeatism and instead became the architects of change towards a healthy and sustainable world.

We owe it to the generations that will follow us to work together, both for their future and for the future of our planet.

It is my belief that we will find the courage to do so.

We will find the courage because we will hold on to the most powerful motivators of all: optimism and hope.

Thank you.

I'm very hopeful.

I don't think you get into this if you're not hopeful.

What makes me hopeful is really the people that we work with.

Talal Hasan: The amount of people that are being mobilized in the fight against climate change.

The number of young people who really care about these challenges.

Finalist: That together we can do more and that together we can tackle the problem.

Charlot Magayi: What gives me hope for the future is seeing that we are not the only ones innovating for the health of the environment.

When great people come together with a shared passion, we can make amazing progress.

Brosnan: There is a very real pathway to a better future.

Brandon Ng: There's an awakening of a global consciousness.

The concepts are already out there.

Raemaekers: We've got the tools, the programs, the models.

Manja Kargbo: It's never too late.

Anything that you want to do, you can start now.

Clara Rowe: We can harness the transformational power of this moment to change humanity's relationship to our planet.

We're doing the right thing.

We are on the right track.

Andrzej Gula: What I strongly believe is the power of people.

They can move mountains.

OK. Let's go.

Let's go and do it.

[Cheering] [Applause] Yes!

Let's go!

Let's go.

One thing connects all our Earthshot finalists: they remind us that we can make a difference.

The message is clear: A better future is ours to build if we give Earth our best shot.

That's just about it for the Earthshot Prize 2023.

Congratulations to our amazing winners and finalists... and thank you to all our special guests.

We really hope tonight has inspired you to think about the things you can do to help our planet.

We will leave you now with something very special indeed.

Here, with a reimagining of a massive hit, put together with the legendary Hans Zimmer and featuring the voices of Singapore Choir...

It's the amazing Freya Ridings and Bastille.

Both: Good night.

[Cheering] I was left To my own devices Many days fell away With nothing to show Both: And the walls kept tumbling down In the city that we love Grey clouds roll over the hills Bringing darkness from above But if you close your eyes Both: Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?

And if you close your eyes Does it almost feel like You've been here before?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

Choir: Eh, eheu, eheu Eh, eheu, eheu Eh, eheu, eheu Eh, eheu, eheu Bastille and Freya: We were caught up and lost In all of our vices In your pose As the dust settled around us And the walls kept tumbling down On the city that we love Grey clouds roll over the hills Bringing darkness from above But if you close your eyes Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?

And if you close your eyes Does it almost feel like You've been here before?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

If you close your eyes Choir: Ah ah... Ooh ooh... How am I gonna be An optimist about this?

Ah ah ah oh [Cheering and applause]