The Earth Prize, the world’s largest environmental competition and ‘ideas incubator’ for young people, has officially opened registration for its 2025 edition as of September 1, inviting participants aged 13-19 to present innovative solutions to tackle pressing environmental issues.
Supported by mentorship, learning resources, and $100,000 in funding, The Earth Prize empowers youth to transform their ideas into impactful eco projects.
Founded by The Earth Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organization, The Earth Prize was inspired by the rising climate anxiety among young people, with 59% expressing significant concern about the environment.
Peter McGarry, founder of The Earth Foundation, was moved to action after witnessing a climate strike by students in 2019.
“Environmental anxiety is very real,” Rajas Nandas, a 2024 finalist whose team developed a fungi-based water filter, said, praising The Earth Prize for making a difference by giving young people and the possibility of making an impact.
Relevant: Teenage Finalists For Earth Prize 2024 Unveiled
Since its inception in 2021, the competition has engaged over 10,000 young participants from 154 countries and has awarded a total $500,000 to the most promising teams.
Past winners have created pioneering technologies, such as a flooding prediction system and an eco-friendly diaper.
Notably, the 2023 winning team, Delavo from Türkiye, developed a filter to recycle toxic laundry wastewater and is now working with a national manufacturer to bring their invention to market.
This year’s edition introduces a new format, with seven winners selected from Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Oceania by a panel of global experts.
Each regional winner will receive $12,500 to further develop their project, with one global winner chosen by public vote.
“Offering 1:1 mentoring from the moment of registration will be an enormous value addition for every student who enters. And finally, involving the public in the vote for the overall winner is beyond exciting,” Peter McGarry said, highlighting some of the changes in the format.
Applications are open until November 30.
Read more: Study: Climate Anxiety Key Driver For Climate Action
