The Virgin Earth Challenge was a competition offering a $25 million prize for whoever could demonstrate a commercially viable design which results in the permanent removal of greenhouse gases out of the Earth's atmosphere to contribute materially in global warming avoidance.[1] The prize was conceived by Richard Branson, and was announced in London on 9 February 2007 by Branson and former US Vice President Al Gore.[2]
Among more than 2600 applications, 11 finalists were announced on 2 November 2011. These were Biochar Solutions, from the US; Biorecro, Sweden; Black Carbon, Denmark; Carbon Engineering, Canada; Climeworks, Switzerland; COAWAY, US; Full Circle Biochar, US; Global Thermostat, US; Kilimanjaro Energy, US; Smartstones – Olivine Foundation, Netherlands, and The Savory Institute, US.[3]
The prize was never awarded. In 2019, Virgin took the prize website offline after having kept the 11 finalists in suspension for eight years. Al Gore had withdrawn from the jury earlier and commented that he was not part of the decision to discontinue the contest.[4]
- ^ "Virgin Earth Challenge". Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- ^ "Branson launches $25m climate bid". BBC News Online. 9 February 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
- ^ "Virgin Earth Challenge announces leading organisations". Archived from the original on 3 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
- ^ "De grote klimaatprijs van Richard Branson die in lucht opging" [Richard Branson's great climate prize that went up in thin air] (in Dutch). De Volkskrant. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.