One year ago, we deposited €1,000,000 to a notary in Berlin with a single objective: to help create a Climate Nobel Prize. A year later, the prize still doesn’t exist. But the money is there — and so is our conviction.
Why it matters even more
This summer, devastating fires hit France and Spain on a scale unprecedented in the recent history of both countries. Early estimates put Europe's heat deaths at more than 30,000. Now a record-breaking El Niño is gaining strength, and scientists predict it could cost 450,000 lives worldwide by February.
What too often goes unseen are the people responding to this crisis: the scientists, land defenders, communities, and innovators keeping our planet livable. A Nobel Prize would give them the world's highest stage — and help their solutions spread faster.
What's happened since last year
We've kept working behind the scenes. Over the past year, we've explored how a Climate Nobel Prize could be established with the same independence and rigor as every other Nobel category.
To be clear: this prize doesn’t exist yet, and it's not one Ecosia can create alone. But we can rally support and the structures that make it possible.
Who's backing it
Support is growing. Leading climate scientists and climate activists from around the world now endorse the initiative, including:
- Em. Prof. Louise Vet, Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Prof. Wim van Saarloos, former President of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, former President of EASAC
- Prof. PhD Thomas Elmqvist, Member of the Academia Europaea
“Climate change is no longer a distant threat—it is a reality we are witnessing across ecosystems, societies and economies around the world… A Climate Nobel Prize would send a powerful signal that scientific evidence matters, that the urgency is real, and that informed, decisive action is essential for a sustainable future.” - Prof. Lise Øvreås, Member and former President of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The empty chair
Last year, we built a blue Nobel chair, symbolizing the wait for a future climate laureate. At this year's Nobel Prize announcement, it will sit empty.
Make your voice heard
Prizes like this are born when enough people make clear the time has come. Act with us: comment on our posts; share the campaign; tell us who you'd like to see in that chair one day.
Scientists, we especially need you
If anyone can bring a Climate Nobel Prize to life, it's the scientific community. Send us a short quote on why climate solutions deserve a Nobel Prize at press@ecosia.org, and we may feature it in the campaign. Not a scientist yourself? Forward this post to a researcher you know and ask them to add their voice.
The chair is waiting. Let's fill it together.
