The famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro will be illuminated in green this week in honor of Prince William’s Earthshot Awards. The Prince of Wales has arrived in Brazil for a three-day event celebrating the nominees and winners of his environmental initiative, marking the first time the project has come to Latin America.
The culmination of the Earthshot Prize will take place with an awards ceremony at Rio’s Museum of Tomorrow, where five winners will each be awarded £1 million to further develop their innovative environmental ideas. Prince William aims to shift attention from recent royal family controversies to highlight his Brazil tour, which will conclude with a visit to the COP climate summit in Belem, known as ‘the gateway to the Amazon.’
The Earthshot Prize, initiated by William in 2020, is inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 “Moonshot” speech and seeks to accelerate environmental innovation to address challenges like climate change, plastic pollution, and wildlife habitat loss by 2030. The 2025 finalists, selected from nearly 2,500 nominees across 72 countries, represent outstanding climate leadership.
The awards ceremony is expected to reach a broad audience of 34 million viewers in Brazil and the UK, with broadcasts on the BBC and Globo. Prince Charles expressed his excitement about his visit to Rio de Janeiro, emphasizing the importance of celebrating climate leadership and finding sustainable solutions for the future.
Meanwhile, Prince William will also visit the renowned Christ the Redeemer statue as part of his itinerary in Brazil. Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize, highlighted the global network of climate leaders built over five years, showcasing the existing solutions to major challenges and the unstoppable momentum at the halfway point of the Earthshot Decade.
As the Prince and Princess of Wales move into their new permanent residence, Forest Lodge, following a relocation from Adelaide Cottage, it signifies a new chapter for the family. The move coincided with the children’s half term break and Kate’s recovery from cancer, as William prepares for his solo journey to Rio for the Earthshot Prize Awards. This relocation temporarily brings the Wales family closer to Prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, who resides in Royal Lodge within Windsor Great Park, about 1.4 miles away from William and Kate’s new home.