Every year from 2021 to 2030, the Earthshot Prize will launch a global search for innovative solutions to the climate crisis. The Earthshot Prize objectives are split into five key categories, with a winner being awarded for each category. These categories are:
- Protect and Restore Nature
- Clean our Air
- Revive our Oceans
- Build a Waste-Free World
- Fix our Climate
The Earthshot Prize aims to focus on solutions that can be rapidly scaled up or be replicated with monetary, communications, network, and organisational support. This means that nominees for the prize are more likely to be selected if they are beyond the idea stage, and have working prototypes or executive pilots that demonstrate the effectiveness of their solution. The Earthshot Roadmap provides guidance on the criteria used to select finalists and states that:
"The Earthshot Prize is looking for nominees that are ready for the support it can provide. This means they have a few fundamental building blocks in place for long-term success."
Intellectual property is one of many factors evaluated when choosing a winner for each category, and can help set a nominee apart from the rest. In previous years, a team of patent attorneys selected by the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) have helped to perform due diligence checks on the finalists and provided them with any intellectual property advice that they required. This year, CIPA is also an affiliated nominator for the organisation, and is able to propose entrants for the awards. More about CIPA's role in the selection of the prize winners can be found here.
Nominations for the annual prize open at the start of each year; if you have an invention that could benefit from the support of the Earthshot Prize, using the next few months to build the beginning of a patent portfolio may be worth consideration.
Our Green Tech team can provide a free initial consultation to anyone interested in obtaining a patent for innovations in the environmental sector. We can help you formulate a strategy for protecting your intellectual property that suits your needs. You can find more details on the Green Tech team here, including contact details to arrange a free initial consultation.
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