The Earth Prize is the world’s largest environmental competition for young people and has seen participation from teams in over 150 countries during its first three annual editions. This 100,000 USD competition is uniquely open to students aged 13 – 19 across the globe and offers them a platform to showcase their solutions for a more sustainable future.
The competition is allied with The Earth Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, by recognising and rewarding the best ideas contributing to positive environmental change. This organisation is dedicated to inspiring, educating, mentoring, and empowering students and young entrepreneurs to tackle ecological challenges with innovative ideas.
Ram Chandra Dahal, a teacher at The Royal Academy, commented, “The Earth Prize is a great opportunity for young people to gather brilliant thoughts and present them.” [1]
‘Planet Earth First’ Poster in Spain [2]
Winners & Finalists of 2024
The 2024 winners were a team called FloodGate, comprising four students aged 17-18, from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. They developed an innovative web application for predicting floods and providing accurate information to empower communities in relief efforts.
The team was inspired to tackle the issue of flooding after experiencing the devastating impact of floods in their local area of North Carolina. They found that over 240 million people worldwide face the destructive effects of floods annually and were surprised to learn that there was no accessible flood prediction and detection system available for use. This discovery sparked the initial ideas for creating FloodGate.
The three Earth Prize 2024 finalists included:
- Ceres – Bahçeşehir Koleji Diyarbakir, Türkiye. Proposed Solution: A system that leverages plasma technology to enhance seed germination and plant health, combating environmental stressors to increase crop yield sustainability and reduce on chemical fertilisers.
- CocoMellow – i-IVY, Vietnam. Proposed Solution: A sustainable nappy using Vietnam’s abundant coconut coir and banana fibre.
- Pebble – Eaton College, United Kingdom. Proposed Solution: A system that harnesses idle graphic processing units (GPUs) to create a shared computing network, optimising resource use, reducing carbon emissions, and democratising access to high-powered computing while prompting environmental sustainability in the tech industry.
Charting the Green Path: A Voyage Through the Earth Prize Journey & Ecosystem
The Earth Prize was established in September 2021, has held prize draws since 2022, and continues accepting applications for contestants. The 2025 edition will have seven regional winners, each receiving 12,500 USD to implement their ideas. The regions are Oceania, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America, and Central & South America. The Earth Prize will also recognise three mentors and three educators of the year, awarding each 2,500 USD.
In 2022, team Absorbsy, composed of three Vietnamese students, won the prize in the first year with their idea of a biodegradable menstrual pad. The students explained that due to a drop in dragon fruit sales caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam was suddenly forced to deal with considerable amounts of unsold fruits, with an initial plan of simply burning them. The students had already been considering a project linked to making more eco-friendly menstrual pads, as they were virtually non-existent in the Vietnamese market. When they learned about the absorbent properties of dragon fruit peels, this inspired their Earth Prize project submission.
For the second year in 2023, team Delavo won the prize for creating a device using integrated hollow ultrafiltration tubes and a carbon filter implanted in laundry machines to recycle up to 90% of the water. [4]
Conclusions
As we look back at the competition, it’s been a remarkable journey marked by groundbreaking achievements. Each year has brought us closer to a brighter future, showcasing triumph after triumph in innovative ideas that are not just shaping our world but are also dedicated to preserving our planet. It’s a testament to the resilience and creativity of those striving to make a difference, ensuring we continue a path towards sustainable progress.
The Earth Prize website also has a learning content section that allows visitors to learn more about the Earth and hear inspiring stories from young and successful environmental changemakers. It also provides valuable tips and tricks on how to become a changemaker. The 2025 Earth Prize applicants are now open and can apply via their website here.
References
[1] The Earth Price Competition. Accessed on 28/08/24. Available at: https://www.theearthprize.org/competition
[2] Greenpeace ‘Planet Earth First’ Poster Photograph by createandbloom. Accessed on 28/08/24. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/planet-earth-first-signage-sticked-in-gray-post-outdoors-D0xQQsZovws
[3] Vietnam Investment Review. Accessed on 09/09/24. Available at: https://vir.com.vn/pad-made-of-dragon-fruit-peels-by-vietnamese-girls-wins-the-earth-prize-2022-92978.html
[4] Earth Prize 2023 Winners. Accessed on 11/09/24. Available at: https://www.theearthprize.org/the-earth-prize-2023/delavo
