A group of climate activists, led by tree-planting search engine Ecosia, has launched a campaign pressuring the Nobel Committee to recognize a Climate and Planetary Health Nobel Prize.
“When Alfred Nobel created the prizes, he wrote that they must serve the greatest benefit to humankind,” Ecosia CEO Christian Kroll said in a video statement. “Today, this means protecting the planet we all depend on.”
Currently, the Nobel Prize covers six categories: Physics, Chemistry, Peace, Literature, Economics, and Physiology or Medicine. Every year, winners, or laureates, receive a €1 million endowment, along with a medal or diploma honoring their achievements.
Kroll said Ecosia is prepared to cover the first endowment of €1 million (about $1.17 million USD) and would be “open to extending its support over time,” while also encouraging other institutions to support the prize for long-term financing.
“I recently went to the notary here in Berlin to commit an initial €1 million toward a new Nobel Prize, the Climate Nobel Prize,” Kroll said. “We've contacted the Nobel Foundation to explore making it real.”
An Instagram post shared by Ecosia added, “The funds are ready to go … if the Nobel Committee agrees.”
The Royal Swedish Academy of Science is responsible for selecting the Nobel Prize winners in physics, chemistry, and economics every year, and it is this group that is being urged to create a first-ever award in Climate and Planetary Health.
How does a Nobel Prize actually help climate efforts? Kroll said it’s similar to the introduction of the economics award in 1969, which “reflected the priorities of that era.”
A climate prize, he suggests, would do the same.
“A Climate Nobel Prize would give climate leaders and innovators the same recognition as other Nobel laureates,” Kroll said. “[It’s] an acknowledgement that inspires courage, creates urgency, and drives momentum for solutions. It would not just be a symbol, but could truly shift how the world values climate action.”
Ecosia shared that if the Nobel Foundation were to adopt a climate prize, Ecosia would have no influence over nominations or laureates, but it does seem to want to play a role in building out criteria for the prize.
“We propose three initial categories of recognition and remain open to refining these in close dialogue with the Nobel Foundation and relevant institutions,” a web page shared.
Those three proposed categories, according to Ecosia, are as follows:
- Pragmatic Governance: For implementing smart, effective policies that accelerate proven solutions and provide long-term stability.
- Scaling Prosperity & Markets: For scaling innovations and business models that create sustainable prosperity at unprecedented speed.
- Building Common Ground: For uniting diverse perspectives to create shared, practical solutions and empower communities.
In addition to the very real €1 million offer and a preliminary outline for the prize, Ecosia has created a symbolic gesture as well.
“At every Nobel ceremony, each laureate takes their place on an iconic blue chair. This year, we handcrafted one more, a chair that is still empty, waiting to honor the people who protect life on Earth,” Kroll said.
On its website, Ecosia emphasized the need for a “seat at the table,” calling a recognition of climate work “the missing prize of the 21st century.”
This effort is not just backed by Kroll and his climate-friendly search engine. A number of climate activists have pledged their backing as part of the campaign.
“An award for climate and planetary health would encourage people worldwide to build solutions, improve policy, and mobilize communities to take action,” climate activist Luisa Neubauer said. “It is long overdue for the Nobel tradition to finally recognize the greatest crisis of our time.”
“For me, one thing is clear: Transformation needs hope, encouragement, and role models,” Dr. Claudia Kemfert, an energy economist, added.
“A Nobel Prize for climate and planetary health would be exactly that — a global signal that climate protection secures the future and deserves the highest recognition.”
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Header image by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin (CC BY-SA 4.0)
