The Prince of Wales has dubbed the 2024 Earthshot Prize finalists as the “most exciting, innovative and impactful” he has seen.

William announced the contenders, hoping to be named winners at the awards ceremony in Cape Town this autumn, in a video message while still sporting his summer beard.

The finalists, from countries including France, Ghana, Indonesia and Nepal, are vying for a £1 million prize pot awarded to each winner of five categories, with the money earmarked to develop their ideas.

The future King, Earthshot’s founder and president, said in his video message filmed at Windsor earlier this month: “I’m delighted to introduce you to this year’s 15 new Earthshot Prize finalists.

“These solutions are some of the most exciting, innovative and impactful we’ve seen, and the people behind them are true inspirations.”

Awards are presented in five categories, or Earthshots – Protect and Restore Nature; Clean Our Air; Revive Our oceans; Build a Waste-Free World; and Fix Our Climate.

The initiative was inspired by former US president John F Kennedy’s Moonshot project which set scientists the challenge of placing an astronaut on the moon and returning him safely – and in the process helping advance mankind’s achievements.

Among the finalists in the Build a Waste-Free World category is Keep It Cool, a Kenyan based company using solar powered refrigeration to help cut harvest waste for farmers.

The Fix Our Climate category features American company Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems, which is converting excess heat, produced during the making of steel or cement, into electricity.

While Build Up Nepal, a social enterprise, has developed an earthquake-resilient brick with 75% lower carbon emissions compared to traditional clay-fired bricks.

UK start-up NatureMetrics, a Protect and Restore Nature finalist, is using environmental DNA technology to identify species populations and report environmental and conservation impacts.

In a written message, William said: “The passion of these finalists is a testament to what can be achieved when we tap into the enormous creativity, ingenuity, and optimism of communities around the world.

“Representing every corner of the globe, these finalists are leading the way in solving some of the most urgent environmental challenges.

“Their ground-breaking work is inspiring hope and action as we work to create a sustainable future for generations to come.”