Gisele Bündchen has been named as a Prize Council Member at the Prince of Wales’s renowned environmental awards – The Earthshot Prize.
The supermodel and philanthropist, 45, is the first Brazilian to take on the role as she joins other notable names on the council, including the future king himself, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Oscar winner Cate Blanchett and Sir David Attenborough, among others.
In her new role, she will help select five winners championing sustainability initiatives all over the world.
‘I’m honored to join The Earthshot Prize Council,’ Gisele shared. ‘Protecting nature has always been close to my heart, and I’ve seen the power of the global communities coming together and supporting innovation to create real change.
‘Every action matters big or small and together we can nurture change to protect the planet we call home.
‘The Earthshot Prize shines a light on solutions that inspire hope and transformation, and I’m proud to represent Brazil in sharing these stories with the world.’
Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize, added: ‘As we head towards our greatest Earthshot Prize Awards yet in Rio, we are thrilled to welcome Brazilian climate leader Gisele Bündchen, with her unique record of leadership and environmental progress.
‘Her passion and commitment to the environmental movement in Brazil and beyond, and her dedication to amplifying solutions will be invaluable to our mission.
Supermodel, philanthropist and environmental activist Gisele Bündchen has joined Prince William’s Earthshot Prize as a Prize Council Member
‘Her voice, leadership and dedication, will inspire everyone to keep building the future we all want for people and the planet.’
Gisele has advocated for environmental and social causes since the early 2000s, after a Victoria’s Secret fashion show she was walking in was interrupted by a PETA protest against the use of fur.
Since then, she has worked closely with the United Nations Environment Programme and helped lead their awareness campaigns, and also supported water conservation through the Clean Water Project in southern Brazil.
One of Gisele’s passions is reforestation. In 2020, to celebrate her 40th birthday, the supermodel had 40,000 trees planted in Brazil using seeds from a seed bank project she supported in 2006.
She is also involved in initiatives that focus on regenerative agriculture and wildlife protection all around the world.
Gisele also founded the Luz Foundation in 2007, which provides funding and support for impactful projects in uplifting women and children, education, health and the environment.
She has spent the last few years allocating funds through the Luz Alliance Fund to protect Brazil’s biomes, including the Amazon, Cerrado, Caatinga, Mata Atlântica, Pampa, and Pantanal, as well as the country’s coastal marine ecosystems.
She is also as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and raising awareness about deforestation in the Amazon.
The 45-year-old is the first Brazilian to take on the role ahead of the first Earthshot Prize ceremony in Latin America later this year
Gisele’s passion lies in reforestation, regenerative agriculture and wildlife protection, and she works closely with the United Nations Environment Programme
To mark her 40th birthday in 2020, Gisele had 40,000 trees planted using seeds from a seed bank project she supported in 2006
The mother-of-three, who has been one of the highest paid supermodels in the world since 2001,is a supporter and board member of The Lotus House in Miami, the largest women and children’s shelter in the United States.
She donated US$1 million to the new Children’s Village that opened this year, providing after-school programmes and therapeutic and social services, in addition to housing community-based non-profits.
The Earthshot Prize said that Gisele’s appointment on the council ‘strengthens its presence in Latin America at a pivotal moment for the global awareness’.
It comes as the awards ceremony is set to take place in Latin America for the first time this year.
The glamorous event will be hosted in Rio de Janeiro at the Museum of Tomorrow on Wednesday November 5.
Earlier this month, Prince William unveiled the 2025 finalists for the award and said he was ‘deeply proud’ of the work that the Earthshot Prize has supported so far.
The five finalists are vying for a £1 million prize pot awarded to each winner of five categories, with the money earmarked to develop their ideas.
The prize recognises solutions from different geographies, sectors and stages in their life cycle, and is dedicated to solving the planet’s greatest challenges.
The mother-of-three’s advocacy work began in the early 2000s, after a PETA protest during one of her Victoria’s Secret shows enlightened her
Gisele also founded the Luz Foundation in 2007, which provides funding and support for impactful projects in uplifting women and children, education, health and the environment
The event in 2025 marks the halfway point in the Earthshot decade.
In a video message posted on social media, William, who will be travelling to Brazil in November, said: ‘Back then, a decade felt a long time. George was seven, Charlotte five and Louis two; the thought of them in 2030 felt a lifetime away.
‘But today, as we stand halfway through this critical decade, 2030 feels very real.
‘The Earthshot Prize was founded because this decade matters. 2030 is a threshold by which future generations will judge us; it is the point at which our actions, or lack of them, will have shaped forever the trajectory of our planet.’
He said he is ‘deeply proud’ of what the Earthshot Prize has done in its first five years and is ‘enormously excited’ for the next five.
‘Not just for the new finalists we’ll welcome into our network, but to see the continued impact of our 60 existing finalists,’ he said.
‘Together, they are moving us towards achieving vital global goals that will improve and secure lives and livelihoods for all of us – goals such as protecting 30% of our land and sea by 2030.
‘It is impossible to hear these finalists’ stories, to see the impact they are already having and not feel encouraged by their energy and momentum.
‘For me, it is that urgent optimism that has been at the heart of this prize from the beginning. And it feels unstoppable.
‘The people behind these projects are heroes of our time, so let us back them. Because, if we do, we can make the world cleaner, safer and full of opportunity – not only for future generations, but for the lives we want to lead now.’
Among the 15 finalists is a British company, Matter, headquartered in Bristol, whose simple washing machine filters remove the greatest cause of microplastics in the ocean.
Adam Root, chief executive and founder of Matter, said: ‘Being a finalist for the Earthshot Prize and representing Matter at the awards ceremony in Rio is like winning an Olympic gold medal in innovation.
‘Matter’s mission is to create impact at a size and scale that meets the enormity of the microplastic pollution challenge.’
