Prince William confirms travel to Brazil for the 2025 Earthshot Prize awards at Rio’s Museum of Tomorrow

Prince William has announced he will travel to Brazil later this year to attend the 2025 Earthshot Prize Awards, marking his first official visit to the country. The Prince of Wales, 43, confirmed the plans during a panel appearance at Bloomberg HQ in London as part of London Climate Action Week.

Speaking at the “Leading with Impact” event, the royal shared his personal excitement. “From a personal point of view, I’ve always wanted to get to South America, particularly Brazil,” he told the audience. “I think South America as a whole, the amount of ecosystem, environmental interest and passion that is there—I think that’s really important. The vibrancy, the energy, the enthusiasm. I think the awards will be spectacular.”

The 2025 Earthshot Prize ceremony will take place on 5 November at Rio de Janeiro’s Museum of Tomorrow. This marks the first time the event will be hosted in Latin America, just days before Brazil is due to host COP30 in Belém.

Prince William, founder and president of the Earthshot Prize, shared the stage with environmental advocate Robert Irwin, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, and Rita Maria El Zaghloul, Director at the High Ambition Coalition. Together, they discussed sustainable leadership and the need for urgent global climate action.

Jason Knauf, CEO of the Earthshot Prize, praised the venue choice, saying: “The Museum of Tomorrow is the perfect home for The Earthshot Prize and our mission of urgency and optimism for the planet. We will stage an awards ceremony this year that will supercharge the efforts of our fifteen 2025 finalists and celebrate Brazil’s global climate and nature leadership. It’s going to be the best instalment yet.”

The Earthshot Prize was launched in 2020 by Prince William to reward innovative environmental solutions across five key categories. Each year, five winners receive £1 million to develop their projects.

The prize ceremonies have previously taken place in Cape Town (2024), Singapore (2023), Boston (2022), and London (2021). The move to Rio highlights the Prize’s global scope and its efforts to spotlight climate leadership across continents.

Prince William’s visit to Brazil comes at a pivotal moment in international environmental diplomacy. Brazil is positioning itself as a global voice for nature-based solutions ahead of COP30. William’s presence at the Earthshot Awards is expected to strengthen the UK’s environmental ties with South America and promote British engagement on sustainability.

It remains unclear whether the Princess of Wales will accompany her husband on the trip. She has not attended an Earthshot ceremony since 2022 in Boston, citing private commitments. However, her support for the initiative remains strong.

Prince William has long been a champion of environmental causes. The Earthshot Prize is considered one of the world’s most prestigious climate awards, earning praise from scientists, activists, and policymakers alike. With this year’s event hosted in one of the planet’s most biodiverse nations, it promises to be the most impactful ceremony yet.

As the countdown begins, the Prince’s forthcoming journey to Brazil represents more than just a royal tour—it’s a statement of global ambition for sustainability and ecological hope.