- The Earthshot Prize, a global environmental prize launched by HRH Prince William to identify, celebrate and back solutions to repair the planet, reaches a pivotal milestone in 2025, marking the halfway point in its ambitious ten-year mission
- The High Seas Treaty is a Finalist in the Revive Our Oceans category, as it reaches the critical threshold of 60 ratifications needed for it to enter into force (following nearly two decades of advocacy and intensive years of negotiations)
- Winners announced at Awards Ceremony in Rio on Nov 5, as one-month countdown begins
THE HAGUE, The Netherlands, 4 October 2025: The High Seas Treaty is today revealed as a 2025 Finalist in the world’s most prestigious and impactful environmental award, The Earthshot Prize. The High Seas Treaty joins a historic coalition of leaders recognised for driving climate action and inspiring everyone to build a better future for people and planet.
Founded by HRH Prince William in 2020, The Earthshot Prize recognises solutions from different geographies, sectors and stages in their life cycle, and is dedicated to solving our planet’s greatest challenges. The Prize in 2025 marks the halfway point in the Earthshot decade, as the mission gathers pace in this next critical juncture.
Approximately two-thirds of the world’s ocean – the High Seas and deep seabed – lie beyond the jurisdiction of any one country and remain largely unregulated and unprotected. These waters regulate our climate, feed millions of people, and shelter extraordinary creatures, from great whales to tiny plankton. A healthy High Seas ecosystem is essential for mitigating the effects of climate change, as it absorbs carbon, sustains biodiversity, supports fisheries, and underpins global food security. What happens out there shapes the future of life everywhere, making their protection vital for economies and communities worldwide.
On 4th March 2023, following nearly two decades of advocacy, including five years of negotiations, governments reached agreement on a groundbreaking Treaty to protect marine biodiversity in the High Seas – the areas of the ocean not under national jurisdiction that cover nearly half of the planet. This High Seas Treaty (formally titled BBNJ Agreement or the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction) is the first global effort to address this governance gap, setting out clear measures to conserve ocean life and promote equitable participation for developing countries.
The Treaty has been driven forward by pioneering countries like Palau – the first to ratify, and other nations who championed global support. Behind the scenes, this historic progress reflects the tireless work of The High Seas Alliance, a powerful coalition of over 70 civil society groups dedicated to protecting the ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction. Working alongside governments, scientists, Indigenous Peoples and local communities worldwide, this Alliance has played a crucial role in helping shape the Treaty and mobilising global momentum toward its negotiation, adoption and ratification at the United Nations.
Its ambition is clear: to establish a framework to create Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on the High Seas and help achieve the global goal of protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030. As of today, more than 145 countries have signed the Treaty, and more than 73, including the European Union, have ratified it. Following the 60th ratification that was deposited on 19 September 2025, the Treaty will enter into force 120 days later on 17 January 2026.
The High Seas Alliance’s Race for Ratification campaign has galvanised international momentum, driving swift action around the world to reach the 60-ratification milestone within just two years of the Treaty being opened for signature. This milestone marks the beginning of a new era in ocean governance and practical conservation; the work begins now to implement and enforce the protections our ocean desperately needs.
It is this leadership, progress and future potential that impressed The Earthshot Prize during the selection process in the search for outstanding leadership for the 2025 Prize.
Prince William, Founder and President of The Earthshot Prize, said: “As we reach the halfway point of the Earthshot decade, I am truly inspired by this year’s Finalists, which embody the urgent optimism sitting right at the heart of our mission. In just five years, The Earthshot Prize has shown that the answers to our planet’s greatest challenges not only already exist, but that they are firmly within our grasp.”
Rebecca Hubbard, Director of High Seas Alliance said: “Being named a Finalist for the 2025 Earthshot Prize brings global attention to the High Seas Treaty and takes us one step closer to turning this landmark Agreement into real-world protection for our ocean. This recognition celebrates years of tireless work and highlights the transformative potential of the Treaty – giving a voice to the vast areas of our ocean that are often overlooked and undervalued. The Prize would provide vital funding to accelerate support for additional ratifications of the Treaty to ensure truly global participation, as well as laying the groundwork to create High Seas Marine Protected Areas and securing greater equity in ocean governance. This is not just a moment of celebration – it’s a powerful catalyst for action to secure a thriving ocean for generations to come.”
The new Finalists join a community of 60 Finalists who are making significant progress in protecting and restoring our natural world. This includes progress by:
- light (Clean our Air 2024 Finalist), which has transformed 200 million lives in Africa with their solar-powered products.
- Notpla (Waste Free World 2022 Finalist), which has replaced 21.5 million single use plastic items with sustainable seaweed packaging, and 11.6 million in 2024.
- Pristine Seas (Revive our Oceans 2021 Finalist), has established 30 of the largest marine protected areas in the world, covering a total area of 6.9 million square kilometers, more than twice the size of India, and helped to create David Attenborough’s groundbreaking Ocean Film.
- Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative (Protect and Restore Nature 2024 Winner), which has helped bring the Saiga Antelope back from the brink of extinction, growing the population from around 40,000 to over 4 million in 20 years. They’ve also reintroduced Przewalski’s horses to Kazakhstan’s wild after more than 200 years.
- Boomitra (Fix Our Climate 2023 Winner), which has worked with over 10,000 farmers in Africa, India, Americas and Mongolia to adopt regenerative agricultural processes and remove nearly a million cars’ worth of CO2 from the atmosphere.
This year’s cohort were selected from nearly 2,500 nominees submitted by the Prize’s network of 575 nominators from 72 countries. The 15 Finalists were chosen based on assessments done by The Earthshot Prize’s selection partners and Expert Advisory Panel, a global group of more than 100 subject-matter experts with deep backgrounds in conservation, science, technology, business, finance, academia and policy.
As in previous years, the five Winners of this year’s Prize will be selected by Prince William and fellow members of the prestigious Earthshot Prize Council, a diverse group of individuals dedicated to protecting the climate and our natural environment. The Earthshot Prize Council is chaired by The Earthshot Prize Board of Trustees Chair, Dame Christiana Figueres, architect of the Paris Climate Accord.
Members of The Earthshot Prize Council are Prince William, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Cate Blanchett, Indra Nooyi, José Andrés, Wanjira Mathai, Nemonte Nenquimo, Luisa Neubauer, Naoko Yamazaki, Ernest Gibson, and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Solutions selected align to the five ‘Earthshots’ – simple, ambitious and aspirational goals but more relevant than ever before.
To find out more about this year’s Finalists, please visit the website.
ENDS