Recently, the 2026 nomination cycle of The Earthshot Prize, founded by Prince William of the United Kingdom, has been successfully completed. In recognition of the outstanding contributions made by the Zhongguancun BCAA Clean Air Industry Alliance (hereinafter referred to as BCAA) in previous nomination processes, the official Prize Organizing Committee has specially invited BCAA to share in an exclusive column. BCAA is the only nominator from around the world selected for this feature in the 2026 cycle.
The feature, titled How BCAA's Role as an Official Nominator is Driving Clean Air and Greentech Innovation, has been published on the official website of The Earthshot Prize.
Award Background and Positioning
The Earthshot Prize is a world-leading environmental award founded by Prince William of the United Kingdom and The Royal Foundation in October 2020. It officially launched a global call for green solutions in 2021. Known as the “Oscar of environmentalism”, it enjoys extremely high global prestige.
BCAA Carbon Neutrality Technology Acceleration
After more than ten years of development, BCAA has established the BCAA Carbon Neutrality Technology Acceleration Platform.
Through core programs including the BCAA Carbon Neutrality Pioneer Competition, UN WIPO GREEN China City Acceleration Program, China Greentech IP Strategic Acceleration Camp and IP Training, investor matching, and industrial demonstration projects, the platform has successfully attracted hundreds of China’s top greentech startups, high-tech enterprises and unicorn companies.
It has built an acceleration partnership network composed of financial institutions, industrial partners, research institutes and international organizations, providing systematic support for leading tech projects in financing, IP empowerment, industrial resource connectivity and international development.
Core Role and Milestone Achievements of BCAA
Leveraging its strong partnership ecosystem and professional project evaluation and selection capabilities, BCAA has helped Chinese projects achieve repeated breakthroughs in The Earthshot Prize with several milestones:
In 2023, the nominated project GRST (Water-based Lithium-ion Battery Technology) from Hong Kong, China won the Prize, becoming the only Chinese winner among the 20 laureates in the first four years of the award.
In 2025, the nominated project All Things Renew (Aihuishou) was shortlisted as a Global Top 15 Finalist and invited to the final awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, demonstrating China’s innovation strength in the circular economy sector.
As an Official Nominator of The Earthshot Prize since 2021, BCAA has continuously discovered and recommended outstanding Chinese green innovation projects, successfully achieving China’s first win and multiple finalist entries in the Prize.
BCAA has built a critical bridge connecting China’s greentech sector with the world’s top environmental awards, helping Chinese green innovation solutions shine on the global stage.
Appendix 1: Chinese Translation of the Content Published on The Earthshot Prize Official Website
How BCAA's Role as an Official Nominator
is Driving Clean Air and Greentech Innovation
Source: The Earthshot Prize Official Website
Writer: Xie Hongxing, Director of BCAA
At Bluetech Clean Air Alliance (BCAA), we believe in the power of innovation to tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental challenges.
Founded in January 2013, our mission has always been clear: to accelerate the development and application of clean air and low-carbon technologies, contributing to both China’s and the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.
The numbers speak to a collective effort: between 2013 and 2023, the average concentration of particulate matter pollution in the air, specifically PM2.5, fell by 57%. Yet, the battle is far from over. Air pollution remains the single largest environmental health risk globally, linked to millions of premature deaths each year. Bridging the gap to World Health Organization guidelines demands a fundamental transformation of our energy and industrial structures.
Building China’s Leading Clean Air Innovation Platform
This imperative drove us to establish what has become China’s most impactful acceleration platform for clean air and carbon neutrality technology. The Bluetech Acceleration Platform is not just a network; it is a curated ecosystem that has become the central hub for the nation’s top innovators.
Through core modules like the Bluetech Carbon Neutrality Pioneers Award, WIPO GREEN China City Acceleration Project, the China Greentech IP Management Clinic & IP strategic training, investor matchmaking, and industrial demonstration projects, we have successfully attracted and centralized hundreds of China’s leading greentech startups, high-tech companies, and unicorns.
This critical mass of talent and technology, all concentrated within our platform, is collectively driving the green transition at an unprecedented scale and speed.
Powering Progress as an Official Earthshot Prize Nominator
The work building our ecosystem made our invitation to become an Official Nominator for The Earthshot Prize in 2021 a natural next step.
Being an Official Nominator aligns perfectly with our core mission, allowing us to leverage our platform’s unique vantage point to identify innovations with global impact. Indeed, The Earthshot Prize’s ambitious goals resonate deeply with our daily work.
Our nominator journey has been incredibly rewarding, with our flagship Bluetech Carbon Neutrality Pioneers Award serving as the premier gateway for discovering exceptional talent.
It was through this rigorous award process that we first identified both of our standout Earthshot nominees: 2023 Winners, GRST, and 2025 Finalists, ATRenew.
2023 Clean Our Air Winner, GRST
GRST first came to our attention as a standout participant in the Bluetech Carbon Neutrality Pioneers Award.
Their groundbreaking technology, which offers a cleaner pathway for battery manufacturing by reducing energy use and eliminating toxic solvents, directly tackles industrial air pollution. Witnessing GRST’s journey from our award program to becoming a 2023 Earthshot Winner was an immensely proud moment, a powerful validation of our scouting process. We continue to support their growth through our platform, facilitating key investor and partner connections.
2025 Build a Waste-Free World Finalist, ATRenew
Similarly, ATRenew (Ai Hui Shou) was identified and vetted through the Bluetech Carbon Neutrality Pioneers Award.
Its innovative model in building a circular economy for electronics perfectly embodies the system-level change that both our award and The Earthshot Prize seek to champion. We are now leveraging our acceleration platform to help amplify its impact and forge new strategic partnerships for global expansion.
Continuing the Momentum
Looking ahead, BCAA will continue to strengthen our position as China’s leading acceleration platform. We are deepening our focus on both clean air and carbon neutrality technologies and expanding our international collaborations to bring the best global practices to our network.
The fact that hundreds of China’s top-tier greentech enterprises are already centralized within our platform provides an unparalleled foundation to catalyze the next wave of breakthroughs.
The progress made in improving air quality is a powerful testament to what can be achieved when we act with determination and hope. We are fundamentally optimistic about the future of clean air, and the concentration of innovation within our platform is a primary reason for this optimism.
We are incredibly proud to partner with The Earthshot Prize. If you know of a solution that can help repair our planet, we encourage you to nominate them.
Together, through collaboration and a shared commitment to nomination, we can shape a cleaner, healthier future and accelerate the progress our world needs.
—
Learn more about Bluetech Clean Air Alliance and our Official Nominators.
