
A new year brings new hope. Let’s round up some of the most planet-positive news we’ve seen so far.
We are constantly inspired by the incredible solutions nominated for The Earthshot Prize each year. With thousands of these innovators now in our portfolio, whether Nominee, Finalist or Winner, each has the potential to create real change this decade – and we’re here to spotlight them all!
Read on for news of Finalist d.light’s African accolade, Winner Kheyti’s greenhouse growth, and Nominees Protix, Omacha Foundation, and Seawater Solutions advancing innovation in alternative proteins, biodiversity protection and ecosystem resilience.
2024 Earthshot Prize Finalist, d.light, has been named one of the Top 10 African Start-ups by Africa: The Big Deal.
In 2024 alone, they raised over $180 million, including a $5 million investment from Acumen, one of their official nominators to the Prize.
This funding will help d.light bring their affordable pay-as-you-go solar powered lanterns and appliances to millions more people across Africa and India, many accessing energy for the first time. Since 2007, their products have been used by over 190 million people worldwide, preventing 38 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.
d.light makes life brighter for millions of people by bringing clean and affordable power to rural African communities.
Over 5,500 farmers across India now use Kheyti’s water-saving, pest-resistant greenhouses. Since winning The Earthshot Prize in 2022, Kheyti has expanded rapidly. They grew from serving 1,000 farms in 2022 to installing nearly 2,000 greenhouses in the first half of 2024 alone.
Kheyti has been working hard to lower service costs and gain government policy support for their greenhouses, enabling more smallholder farmers to boost yields and conserve millions of tonnes of water.
Pangela Sakukar Purty and her husband James Tuti's farm is achieving extraordinary results with their two Kheyti nethouses. Credit: Kheyti.
Earthshot Prize Nominee Protix has announced that its insect-based products can cut CO2 emissions from animal feed and pet food production by up to 78% compared to poultry meal.
This finding, from their 2024 Lifecycle Assessment Report, highlights the vast potential of alternative proteins. Insect fat, for example, uses 99% less land than coconut oil, significantly reducing its ecological footprint.
Beyond pet and animal feed, Protix’s innovations offer major resource savings that could shape the future of human nutrition. Insect meat, already a sustainable protein in pet food, requires 100 times less water than poultry. Their insect-based fertilizer, frass, has an exceptionally low CO2 footprint, while Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) feed provides further emission reductions.
These advancements position Protix at the forefront of sustainable protein development, paving the way for future alternatives in human diets.
Alternative proteins like insect-based animal feed and fertilizers, developed by Protix, can save vast amounts of CO2
Earthshot Prize Nominee Omacha Foundation has helped secure an agreement to protect nearly 35,000 hectares of critical biodiversity in the Colombian Orinoquia—an area three times the size of Paris.
Developed in partnership with the Colombian Government, the voluntary agreement ‘Connecting the Orinoquia’ unites 36 families and two forestry companies to restore and connect forests and natural savannas within these vital ecosystems.
By promoting sustainable practices, the initiative will help support biodiversity, protect endangered species like the Orinoco crocodile and the jaguar, while strengthening the livelihoods of local communities.
Colombia is home to around 16,000 jaguars, but their habitat is becoming increasingly fragmented. Credit: Sam Power, Unsplash.
Over one million mangroves have been planted in Ghana’s Anlo Wetlands since early 2024. This project, led by Earthshot Prize Nominee Seawater Solutions in partnership with Terraformation, the Ghanaian government, and local communities, uses seawater to restore degraded ecosystems by creating artificial saltmarshes and wetlands.
Mangroves are not only powerful carbon sinks—storing carbon 3-5 times more efficiently than terrestrial forests—but also critical habitats for biodiversity. This project expects to lock in nearly 2 million tonnes of CO2 over 40 years while protecting the homes of endangered species, including sea turtles, migratory birds, and West African manatees.
By restoring these vital ecosystems, Seawater Solutions demonstrates how innovative solutions can tackle climate change, support local communities, and safeguard biodiversity.
Community worker inspecting a mangrove sampling in Keta Lagoon, Ghana. Credit: Terraformation
Keep an eye on our channels for all the latest stories of positivity from our portfolio.
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