Prince William has unveiled the 15 global finalists for The 2023 Earthshot Prize during the Earthshot Innovation Summit in New York. The finalists were chosen from more than 1,100 nominees – and amongst them is UK company ENSO, nominated by Cranfield University, which creates tyres for electric vehicles that are more sustainable and reduce pollution. Each of the Finalists will be in the running to receive one of the five £1 million prizes awarded at the third annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Singapore later this year.
The Earthshot Prize aims to discover and help scale the world’s most innovative climate and environmental solutions to protect and restore our planet. The Prize is centred around five ‘Earthshots’: simple but aspirational goals to ensure communities, oceans, and ecosystems can thrive together in harmony for generations to come: 1) Protect & Restore Nature; 2) Clean Our Air; 3) Revive Our Oceans; 4) Build a Waste-free World; and 5) Fix Our Climate.
ENSO is a finalist for The Earthshot Prize to Clean Our Air and is shortlisted alongside innovators from Poland and Hong Kong.
Challenging traditional tyre manufacturing
Tyres are a significant and overlooked threat to health and the environment. They emit more particulate matter pollution than all tailpipes combined, and poorer people who live near major roads are most affected by poor air quality due to this pollution. The pollution problem increases with electric vehicles, which wear tyres 20-50% faster due to their higher weight and torque.
ENSO is challenging traditional tyre manufacturing by using high quality, sustainable raw materials, combined with cutting-edge engineering to reduce the negative impact of tyres. Reducing harmful tyre pollution will lead to cleaner air for everyone.
Professor Chris Fogwill, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the School of Water, Energy and Environment at Cranfield University said: “Despite all the challenges we face with climate change and biodiversity loss, we remain optimists – and that’s down to innovators such as ENSO and the other Earthshot finalists. They show us that solutions are there, and that they can have an impact in repairing our world.
“I’m delighted to see that ENSO are in the global finals of this prestigious prize. It has been a privilege to be involved in The Earthshot Prize to help find practical solutions to restore our planet and I wish ENSO the very best of luck at the finals.”
Rigorous process culminates in awards ceremony on 7 November
Following a rigorous nomination and vetting process, the 15 Finalists were selected by The Earthshot Prize’s Expert Advisory Panel, a global panel of 59 scientific, academic, and subject-matter experts.
In addition to their eligibility for the £1 million prize, all Finalists will receive mentorship, resources, and technical support from The Earthshot Prize Fellowship Program, a year-long programme for each cohort of 15 Finalists to accelerate the growth of their groundbreaking solutions.
The five Winners of this year’s Prize will be selected by Prince William and the prestigious Earthshot Prize Council, a global body of activists, experts, and influencers championing urgent and innovative action to protect the climate and our natural environment.
The Earthshot Prize awards ceremony will take place on November 7 in Singapore.
The 2024 Earthshot Prize
Cranfield University is again involved in The Earthshot Prize as an official nominator. Cranfield’s expertise in climate change research across disciplines will be drawn on with a cross-university panel, including external experts, sifting through the solutions and deciding which best meets the criteria to win an Earthshot Prize. Those selected will go through to The Earthshot Prize’s full assessment process.
The selection process for the 2024 Earthshot Prize will open in the coming weeks and details will be shared on our website and shared on social media.
