Prince William announces Earthshot winners, d.light shines, Uber collaborates

The 2024 Earthshot Prize, a global initiative recognizing groundbreaking innovations for repairing the planet, concluded with its award ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, on Wednesday.

Five winners were selected from a pool of 15 finalists and each received £1 million (US$1.2 million) to scale up their projects, however, a finalist like d.light also deserves a mention.  

In championing the initiative, Britain's Prince William emphasized the need for innovation and inspiration in creating a sustainable future.

Prince William explained how the Earthshot Prize idea came to him during a trip to Namibia and Tanzania.

"I was lucky enough to see some of the stunning wildlife that calls this continent home.  But what struck me was the incredible impact local people were having on the environment around them," Prince William said.

Earthshot Prize 2024 - Winners

Related:The rising tide of sustainable ICT in Africa

d.light's solutions shine

While the spotlight rightly rests on the winners, finalists like d.light also showcased the drive for positive change on the African continent.

A global provider of affordable household products and finance solutions, d.light showcased its commitment to bridging the energy access gap in Kenya.

Selected for the latest round of the Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project (KOSAP), a World Bank-funded initiative, d.light plans to provide solar power and clean cooking solutions to over 150,000 people currently without access to electricity or clean fuels.  

d.light offers affordable household products and finance solutions, showcasing its commitment to bridging the energy access gap in Kenya. (Source: d.light)

The project tackles the significant challenge of access to essential resources, particularly in rural areas.  

The company's PayGo instalment plan model highlights an understanding of affordability and accessibility.

"Kenya was one of the first African countries in which d.light launched operations in 2008, and our headquarters for Africa is in Nairobi. With our combination of tried-and-tested, market-leading products, established distribution channels, and our secure 'PayGo' payment system, d.light is ideally placed to participate in this latest drive to extend clean, safe, renewable energy to the people and communities in rural Kenya who need it," said d.light MD Karanja Njoroge.

Related:Building a green Africa and bridging the energy gap

Uber partners with Earthshot Prize

The Earthshot Prize isn't just about recognizing outstanding environmental innovations, it's about inspiring a global movement towards a sustainable future.

Uber's partnership with the Earthshot Prize points to the growing recognition the private sector can play in achieving sustainable development goals.

Speaking to Connecting Africa, Uber's Middle East and Africa Head, Frans Hiemstra, said Uber aspires to be the cleanest e-hailing platform on earth.

"Earthshot has influenced and complemented our initiatives. Globally we have this plan to be completely emission-free by 2040 and in some of our large markets like London we are already doing 30% of our miles on emission-free vehicles and we have ambitions to extend that to other markets," Hiemstra explained.  

He added that on the African continent, the company introduced its first electric Boda in Kenya saving riders up to 20% with drivers reducing up to 35% in operation costs.

"In South Africa, we have our fully electric package product, that we launched in Cape Town, and we are very excited about that as well, " he said.