Prince William's Earthshot Prize returns to New York City

Prince William’s Earthshot Prize is heading back to the United States. 

On July 30, the Earthshot Prize and Bloomberg Philanthropies revealed they will co-host the third annual Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit on September 24 in New York City.

Launched by the Prince of Wales in 2020, the Earthshot Prize aims to support innovative solutions to the world’s most urgent environmental issues, offering $1 million prizes in five categories annually through 2030.

It remains unclear whether Prince William will attend this year’s summit. The September date follows the return of his children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—to school after their summer break. 

Additionally, there is no current indication of when Kate Middleton will resume public engagements amid her ongoing cancer treatment.

At the summit, the 15 finalists for the next Earthshot Prize will be announced. 

The awards ceremony for the fourth cycle of the prize is scheduled to take place in Cape Town, South Africa, in November, making this summit a key moment for the Earthshot Prize initiative.

Michael Bloomberg, global advisor to the Earthshot Prize, emphasized the importance of this year's finalists in addressing climate change. 

“This year’s Earthshot Prize Finalists embody the spirit of creativity and possibility we need to confront climate change and build a bright future, and this summit is a chance to shine a spotlight on the inspiring projects they’re leading,” 

Bloomberg said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to working with Prince William and the Earthshot team to support the finalists so that their ideas can scale up, spread, and have the greatest impact possible.”

Last year, Prince William made a solo visit to the U.S. for the Earthshot summit, where he notably revealed that he had taken a secret run in Central Park earlier that morning.