Leading experts in sustainability, environmentalism and innovation were invited to Cape Town yesterday for Earthshot+.
Hosted by Nomzamo Mbatha, Actor, Humanitarian, and Earthshot Prize Global Ambassador, the day was packed with bold conversation and impactful collaboration to drive sector-wide change.
Here are some of the key moments from the day.
In the morning, the events focused on African innovation and the tipping points for the continent.
We heard from Wanjira Mathai, Earthshot Prize Council Member and Bezos Earth Fund Africa Advisor, about how African innovation isn’t only for Africa: what happens in Africa has an impact around the whole world.
Climate leaders from across the sector talked about the biggest unanswered problems in areas like how we move, what we wear and what we eat.
2024 Earthshot Prize Finalist, Francis Nderĩtũ, Founder and Managing Director of Keep IT Cool, took to the stage to talk about food security from harvest to market. Omoyemi Akerele, Founder, Lagos Fashion Week and Jackie May, Founder & Editor, Twyg, imagined the road to greening fashion.
Filip Lövström, Co-Founder & CEO of 2022 Finalist Roam, Christopher Hook, Global Sustainability Strategy Lead, Uber, and Maha AlQattan, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, DP World discussed how we can make the leap to e-mobility.
Wanjira Mathai, Earthshot Prize Council Member, leads the discussion on World Changing African Innovation at Earthshot+ 2024
Francis Nderĩtũ, Founder and Managing Director of Keep IT Cool, talked about food security from harvest to market at Earthshot+ 2024
Omoyemi Akerele, Founder, Lagos Fashion Week and Jackie May, Founder & Editor, Twyg, imagined the road to greening fashion at Earthshot+ 2024.
Sampson Osei Tutu Aggrey, Prince William and Tokunboh Ishmael, Earthshot Prize Trustee, discuss empowering young African climate leaders at Earthshot+ 2024.
Alyssa Gilbert, Director of Undaunted, Imperial College London, Kiara Nirghin, Technologist, Entrepreneur, and Ann Mettler, Vice-President, Europe, Breakthrough Energy talk about accelerating innovation through global ecosystems at Earthshot+ 2024.
Desmond Alugnoa, Co-Founder, Green Africa Youth Movement, kicked discussions off at Earthshot+ 2024 talking about the next generation of environmental innovators.
African creator, Wode Maya and Tarek Amin, Director, EMEA Emerging Markets, YouTube discuss Inspiring a Generation through Climate Creativity at Earthshot+ 2024.
Africa’s youth are tomorrow’s climate leaders. There’s a huge amount of creativity and innovation happening on the continent, as demonstrated by the 500 nominations we have received for solutions based in Africa.
Desmond Alugnoa, Co-Founder, Green Africa Youth Movement, kicked discussions off talking about the next generation of environmental innovators.
Then Robert Irwin, Conservationist, Wildlife Photographer and Earthshot Prize Global Ambassador, brought to light the importance of ambassadors for change. Talking with participants from The Earthshot Youth Climate Leader Programme, Robert asked what methods of activism we all need to use going forward to help us start a climate revolution. The young climate leaders encouraged the audience to take inspiration from Africa’s liberators: no action too small, but you have to be strategic when taking on established systems.
Robert Irwin, Earthshot Prize Global Ambassador talks with participants from The Earthshot Youth Climate Leader Programme at Earthshot+ 2024
Finally, Kiara Nirghin, Technologist, Entrepreneur, Alyssa Gilbert, Director of Undaunted, Imperial College London, and Ann Mettler, Vice-President, Europe, Breakthrough Energy talked about how we can accelerate innovation through global ecosystems.
The discussions ended with one of the biggest challenges we face across all sectors: how do we speed solutions to scale?
The Earthshot Prize President & Co-Founder, Prince William, spoke with Wanjira Mathai, and Tokunboh Ishmael, Co-Founder, Alitheia Capital & Earthshot Prize Trustee in an enlightening discussion that pressed the urgent need to accelerate not only with investment but with innovative new ways of operating.
When he founded The Earthshot Prize, Prince William saw it as an antidote to the despair and desperation that he saw in the world surrounding the climate issue. Speaking of the Prize, he said: “It can give young people a platform to channel their hope and optimism. We are seeing that hope in Cape Town and across the continent.”
Tokunboh Ishmael remarked that platforms like The Earthshot Prize are empowering young Africans to “burn up the old ways and create new ways”.
At the same time these global leaders gathered for Earthshot+, The Earthshot Prize announced that the support galvanised for its alumni has reached £86M in value.
This remarkable achievement is a testament to the work of the entire Earthshot network of partners and highlights the Prize’s impact and ability to accelerate game-changing environmental solutions to scale.
Want to know more about the Awards? Go to our Cape Town 2024 page for all the details including how to watch and which global environmental influencers will be joining us on stage.
