Blue Earth Summit

With world leaders, scientists and activists warning that the climate crisis is the defining challenge of our era, pressure is mounting on the Nobel Committee to expand its categories. After more than a century with only six areas of recognition (physics, chemistry, physiology & medicine, literature, peace and economics), many argue the prize system hasn’t kept pace with a planet confronting runaway. In early December 2025 the Berlin‑based search engine Ecosia made a bold proposal: it deposited €1 million with a notary in Berlin and publicly invited the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to create a Nobel Prize in Climate and Planetary Health.

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A search engine turned climate champion

Ecosia may be best known as the “tree‑planting search engine” that invests all of its profits in environmental projects. The company has financed more than 240 million trees in over 35 countries and runs a portfolio of solar plants that produce enough energy to power all of its users’ searches twice over.

Founded in 2009, the company gave away its shares to the Purpose Foundation to ensure it can never be sold or pay dividends. CEO Christian Kroll argues that climate protection needs the same prestige as other Nobel disciplines: “How we adapt to the climate crisis will define humanity,” he said, adding that a prize would spotlight and inspire the innovators and communities working to keep the planet livable. 

 

Why call for a new Nobel category?

The Nobel prizes were devised by Alfred Nobel in 1895 to honour work that offers the “greatest benefit to humankind.” Since then only one new category, economics in 1969, has been added.

Activists say climate change now represents the greatest existential threat to humanity. By elevating climate leadership to Nobel status, supporters believe the award would provide global recognition and motivate countries, businesses and citizens to accelerate solutions. Climate activist Luisa Neubauer argues that such a prize would encourage people worldwide to build solutions, improve policy and mobilise communities, while Andreas Huber of the Club of Rome says it would honour those protecting the very foundations of our existence.

Although the Nobel Peace Prize has occasionally acknowledged climate work, most notably in 2007 when it was shared by the IPCC and Al Gore, there is no systematic recognition of climate science or environmental governance within the Nobel framework. Other awards, such as the BE100 Competition and Earthshot Prize celebrate environmental innovation, but supporters of a climate Nobel say the institutional prestige and history of the Nobel Foundation could amplify climate action at a critical moment.

 

How the proposed prize would work

Ecosia’s plan mirrors the structure of the economics prize, which was created through an independent endowment. The search engine has reserved €1 million specifically to start an endowment for the new prize and is open to establishing a long‑term foundation or collaborating with other organisations committed to climate justice. Importantly, the company says it wants no influence over nominations or laureates, leaving those decisions to Nobel committees in the same way the economics award is governed.

The proposed Climate and Planetary Health Prize would recognise individuals, collectives or businesses making major contributions to climate innovation, mitigation, regulation or advocacy. Ecosia has suggested three broad categories of achievement:

By providing both seed funding and a conceptual framework, Ecosia hopes to lower procedural barriers for the Nobel Foundation. Kroll emphasised that the prize would not replace existing categories but would expand the Nobel tradition to “reflect the challenges and opportunities of our time”.

 

Growing chorus of support

A coalition of scientists, environmentalists and political thinkers have welcomed Ecosia’s proposal. Luisa Neubauer describes a climate prize as “long overdue”, while Andreas Huber and Michael Succow of the Club of Rome highlight that honouring climate defenders is consistent with Nobel’s original intent of recognising the greatest benefit to humanity. Prominent Brazilian indigenous leader Álvaro Tukano likewise argues that the world’s most prestigious awards must finally acknowledge the “most dramatic problem facing the planet”.

Media outlets across Europe have covered the call, noting that Ecosia’s funding pledge sets it apart from earlier campaigns that lacked financial backing. Even business publications like Forbes point out that the campaign has drawn support from think‑tank leaders and indigenous voices. By putting money on the table and detailing a governance model, Ecosia may force the Nobel Foundation to publicly address the question of whether climate merits its own prize.

 

Will the Nobel Committee listen?

As of mid‑December 2025 the Nobel Foundation had not publicly responded to Ecosia’s proposal. Historically, the foundation has resisted adding new categories, citing the importance of maintaining the awards’ coherence. Without broad consensus among Swedish academies and the Nobel Foundation’s board, the climate prize could remain an aspiration. Nonetheless, Ecosia’s million‑euro pledge and the growing chorus of influential supporters have revived an urgent question: can the Nobel Prize continue to overlook the defining crisis of the modern age?

Whether or not the Nobel Committee acts, Ecosia’s initiative underscores a broader trend: private companies, philanthropists and civil society are increasingly stepping in where global governance structures lag behind. By campaigning for a Climate and Planetary Health Prize, the search engine is using both its platform and its profits to push climate action into the world’s most prestigious spotlight. If successful, the prize could become a new beacon of hope and recognition for scientists, innovators and communities striving to protect the planet for generations to come.