I have witnessed the impact Rotary International can have in tackling global challenges. Through strong partnerships such as those with the Gates Foundation and WHO, our strengths lie in using our social capital to make things happen. It wasn’t until I started working more closely with ESRAG that I realized the untapped potential that Rotary can build through partnering with other powerhouse organizations, one of which is a strong partnership with the Earthshot Prize.
Prince William and The Royal Foundation launched the Earthshot Prize in October 2020 to discover and help grow innovative solutions to repair and regenerate the planet.
The Royal Foundation and Earthshot wanted to work with Rotary on Earthshot; they are aware of the values and ethics of Rotary, believing that these aligned with their own and provided a sound foundation for partnership. Following the extensive work of George Spiteri, the British Rotarian succeeded in getting ESRAG approved as an official nominator for the Earthshot Prize.
Earthshot at Climate Week in NYC
Experiencing New York City during Climate Week gave me such a unique experience.
The city is slowly becoming a hub for climate tech startups, backed by $100 million in city funding allocated to infrastructure, housing, and human health. The city’s leadership clearly wants to get sustainability ‘done’ with an ambitious plan towards its resiliency efforts.
On the 24th of September in Royal Plaza, New York City, the third annual Earthshot Innovation Summit was held in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies. Here, The Earthshot Prize unveiled its fourth cohort of Prize Finalists – an inspiring group of global innovators, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and advocates pioneering solutions to our most pressing climate and environmental challenges.
In November this year, five of these finalists will receive a £1 million prize to scale their groundbreaking climate and environmental solutions. All of this year’s finalists will receive technical support and access to The Earthshot Prize’s network of global partners to amplify their solutions and impact.
EARTSHOT Innovation Summit in New York City
The Impact of Partnerships for Sustainable Development
One of the insights I gained from the Summit was the importance of cultivating strong partnerships while scaling up environmental solutions. The Earthshot Innovation Summit partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to unite global leaders, investors, and activists while spotlighting the progress of past finalists and winners in scaling solutions to repair our planet by 2030.
The enthusiasm in the room was palpable as the finalists were announced. The audience was immersed in the excitement of those working in their communities on locally-driven solutions. This was another insight I had while engaging in various conversations with fellow NGOs and changemakers in the sector. We must reimagine the stories we tell about climate change and tap back into indigenous knowledge around nature-based solutions. For that, we must first listen deeply, actively, and with an open heart. Transforming these narratives can be messy, fragmented, and disorienting, but like with every single system change, we must prevail and not succumb to inertia.
I left the city of lights with a renewed sense of enthusiasm about the agency we all have to make a difference in our communities. To truly acknowledge the severity of climate issues, we must see ourselves at the epicenter of those who are being affected – not just as something happening “out there.” As humans, we tend to remove ourselves from “nature” even though we are inextricably connected.
As you are reading this blog post, the second EARTHSHOT Summit is starting in Cape Town from Monday 4 to Wednesday 6 November. For the first time, The Earthshot Prize is in Africa, spotlighting a vibrant climate creativity movement with 390 nominations and 750 impactful solutions. Earthshot Week aims to inspire the continent’s next generation of climate leaders.
Learn more about Earthshot and this partnership at our weekly project seminar on Nov 13. Register today.
To read Bloomberg Philanthropies Annual 2023-24 Report, VISIT.
