Following a high-profile campaign by GenV, the Earthshot Prize — the environmental awards launched by Prince William — has pledged to do more to promote plant-based solutions to the climate crisis.
The Earthshot Prize aims to spotlight innovative solutions with the potential to repair and regenerate the planet. There are five categories —- Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate. The winners of each category receive a £1 million prize.
“Sir David Attenborough is right when he says that the planet can’t support billions of meat-eaters”
GenV has been calling for the Earthshot Prize to introduce a sixth category, Advance a Plant-Based Food System, to recognize organizations working in this area. The campaign has been backed by celebrities such as Sharon Osbourne, Olivia Colman, Emma Thompson, Alicia Silverstone, Mark Rylance, and Annie Lennox.
“The food we eat and the way it is produced is possibly the most significant way in which we impact our health and that of the planet. That’s why I support a campaign to support people trying to create a plant-based, human- and planet-friendly food system,” said Emma Thompson.
Elevating plant-based solutions
In response to the campaign, the Earthshot Prize has invited GenV to select two sustainable food system experts to join the judging panel for the ‘Protect and Restore Nature’ category of the 2024 awards. These experts will assess the nominations and help to choose the finalists. The selected experts are Oxford University researcher Dr. Joseph Poore and Our World in Data scientist Dr. Hannah Ritchie.
Additionally, GenV has been invited to be Official Nominators for the ‘Protect and Restore Nature’ category, becoming the first vegan organization to hold this role. The group is now calling on the vegan community to nominate organizations and campaigns that deserve recognition in next year’s awards, using a form on GenV’s website.
“We would like to thank Earthshot Prize for recognizing the need to elevate plant-based solutions, and taking action to ensure they are included in the 2024 awards,” said GenV CEO Naomi Hallum. “Animal agriculture is a leading driver of deforestation, wildlife loss, air and water pollution, and climate breakdown, and we need our environmental groups to be honest about the destructive nature of the animal farming industry.
“We believe there is still time to heal our planet, but it is absolutely clear that we have to change our food system. Earthshot Prize Council Member Sir David Attenborough is right when he says that the planet can’t support billions of meat-eaters, and we are grateful that Earthshot is listening.”
