Mumbai has been officially designated as the host city for the 2026 Earthshot Prize ceremony, founded by Britain’s Prince William to recognize innovative environmental solutions. The announcement made on Tuesday positions India’s financial capital as the sixth global city to host the prestigious awards, following previous ceremonies in Rio de Janeiro (2025), Cape Town (2024), Singapore (2023), Boston (2022), and London (2021).
The Earthshot Prize, established in 2020, represents one of the world’s most significant environmental initiatives, awarding £1 million (approximately $1.3 million) to each winner across five critical categories: Protect and Restore Nature, Revive our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, Fix our Climate, and Clean our Air. These funds are specifically allocated to accelerate the implementation of groundbreaking environmental solutions.
India’s selection as host country carries particular significance given its prominent role in environmental innovation. The nation has produced more Earthshot Prize winners and finalists than any other country, demonstrating its growing leadership in sustainable development. Prince William emphasized India’s unique position, stating: ‘What succeeds in India at scale has the power to inspire progress everywhere.’
The choice of Mumbai also highlights India’s ongoing challenges with environmental degradation, particularly air pollution. A 2024 study published in The Lancet Planetary Health estimated that 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were directly linked to air pollution, underscoring the urgent need for the solutions that the Earthshot Prize promotes.
Prince William, who has attended every Earthshot Prize ceremony since its inception, described India as one of the world’s ‘most important forces’ for climate and nature conservation. He particularly noted the country’s demographic advantage: ‘With the largest population of young people in the world, there is a real sense of momentum — to not only imagine a better future, but to inspire change and make it a reality.’
The ceremony, typically held in November, will bring global attention to Mumbai’s environmental initiatives while supporting the prize’s overarching mission to ‘repair and restore our planet by 2030’ through innovative, scalable solutions.