Bogotá and Sydney lead 2025 Earthshot finalists

Bogotá and Sydney have been named among the 2025 finalists of the Earthshot Prize, highlighting how cities can pioneer clean air and low-carbon building solutions. Guangzhou has also been shortlisted for its transport electrification programme.

Founded in 2020 by Prince William, the Earthshot Prize is at the halfway mark of its decade-long mission to back 50 solutions that can repair the planet. The 2025 cohort was selected from nearly 2,500 nominations worldwide and underscores the importance of urban action in tackling climate change.

Bogotá’s clean air transformation

Bogotá (pictured), a city of 7.9 million, has been shortlisted in the Clean our Air category for its long-term policies to tackle pollution from diesel vehicles, freight and dust. Since 2018, levels of fine particulate matter have fallen 24 percent despite steady population growth.

Investments totalling US$19.9 billion are funding clean mobility, public transport and green infrastructure, including 1,486 electric buses already in operation, expansion of the Bus Rapid Transit system, and the creation of three new urban forests.

“It’s inspiring to see Bogotá recognised for its journey from a city once struggling with air pollution to one now leading one of the region’s most ambitious initiatives in clean air, sustainable mobility, and climate action,” said Carlos Fernando Galán, Mayor of Bogotá. “By 2028, we expect to avoid more than 300,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year, the same as preserving a forest ten times the size of Manhattan or taking 65,000 cars off the road.”

He added that being a finalist “is incredibly special for Bogotá as through this international platform we can shine a light on how coordinated action across transport, freight, and green infrastructure can drastically improve air quality.”

Reusing the city: Sydney’s upcycled skyscraper

Sydney’s Quay Quarter Tower–the world’s first fully “upcycled skyscraper”–has been shortlisted in the Build a Waste-Free World category.

By retaining 65 percent of its original structure and 98 percent of its core, the project avoided more than 12,000 tonnes of embodied carbon while doubling its capacity to 9,000 workers.

Fred Holt, Design Lead at 3XN, said: “The demolition cycle is one of the greatest threats to our global climate goals. Quay Quarter Tower proves that transformation at significant scale is possible and, critically, commercially viable. We extended the life of a building by decades, halved its carbon impact, and created a more engaging workplace for thousands of people.”

The retrofit also introduced the world’s first double-deck elevator installation in a premium tower and has inspired similar projects in London.

Guangzhou’s electric fleet

Guangzhou, with a population of more than 24 million, has been named a finalist in the Clean our Air category for operating one of the world’s largest electrified bus and taxi fleets and pioneering battery reuse for renewable energy storage. Qin Haining, Chairman of Guangzhou Public Transport Group, said the recognition highlights how the city can serve as a “blueprint to other cities around the world.”

Global recognition

Prince William praised the 2025 finalists, saying: “As we reach the halfway point of the Earthshot decade, I am truly inspired by this year’s finalists, which embody the urgent optimism sitting right at the heart of our mission. In just five years, The Earthshot Prize has shown that the answers to our planet’s greatest challenges not only already exist, but that they are firmly within our grasp.”

The winners will be chosen by the Earthshot Prize Council, chaired by Christiana Figueres, architect of the Paris Agreement, on 5 November.

Main image: JA