What an incredible week was Earthshot Summit in Rio de Janeiro, culminating in the inspiring Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony. We are thrilled and deeply honored that the High Seas Treaty has been recognized with the 2025 Earthshot Prize in the ‘Revive our Oceans’ category. It was tough competition among our fellow incredible finalists- Matter and Bonds for Ocean Conservation!
This recognition celebrates decades of tireless advocacy, diplomacy, and collaboration by governments, scientists, legal experts, and civil society working to bring protection to nearly half our planet, the High Seas.
During the Earthshot Prize Summit, it was inspiring to meet other finalists, previous winners from around the world and the Earthshot team, sharing insights and experiences across roundtables, outings, and the Impact Assembly. A real highlight was the opportunity to meet HRH Prince William, including at the iconic Rio landmark Christ the Redeemer. The Prince’s passion for nature conservation and commitment to action was evident throughout the week.
The conversations underscored the global momentum for nature protection and climate action. It also highlighted the power of collaboration and innovation in tackling environmental challenges during challenging political times. The week culminated in an inspiring, energetic and star-studded beautiful awards ceremony, where the collective efforts of so many dedicated individuals and organizations were celebrated.
A heartfelt thank you
Finally, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has made this achievement possible. We thank the governments and coalitions that have championed the Treaty, including the BBNJ High Ambition Coalition and the First Movers group, whose leadership has been instrumental in driving global momentum.
We’d also like to thank Ambassador Rena Lee of Singapore, President of the Intergovernmental Conference, who brought the Treaty “ship” to shore in March 2023; Ambassador Janine Felson of Belize and Mr. Adam McCarthy from Australia, who continue to advance the critical work of the #BBNJPrepCom; and UN DOALOS for its essential support and tireless dedication to BBNJ.
A heartfelt thank you also goes to Kristina Gjerde, Senior High Seas Advisor to IUCN, whose advocacy and expertise were instrumental right from the very beginning, as well as to all of those key organizations and individuals who founded and have nurtured the High Seas Alliance over the years. While we could not name everyone individually- the list is too long- you know who you are – your contributions have been invaluable.
We also recognize the countless civil society organizations, scientists, Indigenous Peoples leaders, youth activists, academics and legal experts whose tireless dedication helped bring the High Seas Treaty to life, as well as our fabulous High Seas Alliance team and coordinators.
This partnership with the Earthshot Prize is an opportunity to elevate the urgency on the global stage of the need to transform the Treaty from words on paper into a living, enforceable commitment to protect the High Seas, and ultimately our shared future.
This is a truly shared achievement, and we celebrate the collective effort of all involved. As the proud recipients of the Earthshot Prize Award of one million pounds, High Seas Alliance looks forward to continuing supporting capacity building for developing countries to facilitate universal ratification of the Treaty and to ensure its robust and swift implementation.
As we concluded in our acceptance speech -the ocean is our planet’s blue heart- and together we can keep it beating strong! Take a look: