Kenya’s Keep It Cool is among 15 companies that are finalists and are competing for £1 million each in the 2024 Earthshot Prize. The Earthshot Prize is a global climate and environmental stewardship program.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.
African representatives in the finalists include Keep It Cool, a solar-powered refrigeration solutions company, d.light, a Kenyan based provider of solar home systems, and GAYO, a Ghana-based youth-led waste management group. The three join 12 others from six continents, including first-time finalists from France, Ghana, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Nepal.
“Representing every corner of the globe, these finalists are leading the way in solving some of the most urgent environmental challenges. Their groundbreaking work is inspiring hope and action as we work to create a sustainable future for generations to come,” said Prince William, Founder and President of The Earthshot Prize.
This year’s finalists were selected from nearly 2,500 nominees and were chosen based on assessments done by selection partners and Expert Advisory Panel.
The Prize is focused on discovering, spotlighting, and helping scale innovative solutions that the world needs if it is to collectively achieve critical environmental goals. Solutions selected align with five goals i.e.: Protect and Restore Nature; Clean Our Air; Revive Our Oceans; Build a Waste-Free World; and Fix Our Climate. In total, five winners will walk away with £1 million in each of these categories.
The five winners of this year’s prize will be selected by Prince William and his fellow members of the prestigious Earthshot Prize Council.
In addition to the prize money, each finalist will receive dedicated mentorship, resources and technical support to help accelerate the growth of their solution during the Earthshot Prize Fellowship Programme. This support includes access to the Prize’s network of businesses, investors and climate experts.
The Multichoice Group is one of the Global Alliance Members that bring together organizations that support The Earthshot Prize, implement ambitious changes within their businesses, and accelerate the advancement of the solutions of Prize Finalists and Winners.
Since its formation in 2020, the Prize has unlocked more than £75 million in direct and in-kind support for finalists. The 2024 finalists bring the number of global solutions honored as Prize Finalists to 60.