Barbados, February 27, 2023 – The Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator (CCSA) has nominated thirteen different regional initiatives to the prestigious Earthshot Prize.
Each project matches the criteria set for the £1 million ($1.2 million USD) prize, which rewards organizations and individuals who are working to enact widespread environmental change targeted at repairing the planet over the next ten years. Founded in 2020 by the Royal Foundation, the Earthshot Prize has one winner for each of the five categories: Protect & Restore Nature; Clean Our Air; Revive Our Oceans; Build a Waste-Free World; and Fix Our Climate.
The projects nominated by the CCSA hail from Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Costa Rica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago. Along with these regional initiatives, the CCSA has also nominated another thirteen projects based outside of the Caribbean but focused on implementation in the region. Overall, the 26 projects that the CCSA has nominated highlight the amount of innovation being developed in and for the Caribbean, with cutting-edge initiatives in sustainable building materials, climate-smart agriculture, and nature-based solutions spearheading the pack.
During the inaugural Earthshot Prize, the Caribbean was at the forefront of the inaugural award ceremony in 2021, when the Republic of Costa Rica (Protect & Restore Nature), and Bahamas-based Coral Vita (Revive Our Oceans) earned top honors, while finalists Pristine Seas (Revive our Oceans) and Restor (Protect & Restore Nature), Wota Box (Build a Waste-Free World) are also engaged in the region. The CCSA hopes to replicate this success in this year’s iteration. Finalists are expected to be announced in the final quarter of 2023.
Racquel Moses, CEO of the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator and UNFCCC Net Zero Ambassador commented, “The Caribbean has a long distinguished history as global innovators and we are proud to highlight this at the world stage by nominating locally-led and regionally-focused projects. These initiatives are improving the sustainability of our communities and providing opportunities for new pathways in socio-economic development – their importance cannot be understated, and neither can their innovation. We wish our nominated projects good luck in earning the Earthshot Prize, and look forward to their continued work in making the Caribbean the world’s first climate-smart zone.”
