A new tradition takes sail: The Earth Prize partners with Camoz to create handsewn and recycled sailcloth flags for Regional Winners

This year, The Earth Prize is proud to unveil a new tradition. In partnership with Camoz, an upcycling studio based in Venice, each of the seven 2025 Regional Winners received a unique, hand-embroidered Earth Prize flag crafted from retired sailboat cloth. These flags will now travel across continents, carried forward each year by the next generation of changemakers.

Camoz - short for Camilla and ounces (oz), the weight units used in sailmaking - was founded with the mission of giving new life to discarded sails from across Europe. Drawing on materials such as dacron, Kevlar, Mylar, laminated polyester, Spectra and nylon, Camoz transforms these high-performance textiles into long-lasting accessories with character and history. Every piece tells a story: some come from regatta sails, some from vessels crossing the Mediterranean, others from boats that have braved the Atlantic.

For The Earth Prize, Camoz created something entirely new: hand-sewn and hand-embroidered flags, each cut from sails that once powered boats across open water. Their weather-tested textures and colours made them the perfect symbol for endurance, resilience, and renewal - the same qualities embodied by young innovators tackling today’s toughest environmental challenges.

Last month in Geneva, The Earth Prize team gathered for a small send-off ceremony as each finished flag was carefully folded, boxed, and prepared for its journey to the seven 2025 Regional Winners, each representing the regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Central & South America, Middle East, Oceania & Southeast Asia.

This moment marked the beginning of a tradition designed to last for generations - a physical symbol of the impact carried forward each year.

From Geneva, the flags travelled to:

• Višňové, Slovakia - Team PURA (Global Winner)
• Lagos, Nigeria - Team Preserve our ROOTS
• Abu Dhabi, UAE - Team Sustainability Heroes
• Palmas, Brazil - Team EcoAcao
• Manila, Philippines - Team Kultibado
• Indore, India - Team Thermavault
• New York, US - Team StudyBigComp (aka Kiriboard)

Once received, the flags began their journey at the schools of the seven 2025 Regional Winners. Students and teachers proudly displayed them in courtyards, classrooms, and community spaces, marking the start of each team’s custodianship.

These flags will remain in their regions for years to come, passed forward from one winning team to the next, carrying with them the legacy, stories, and achievements of past Earth Prize winners. In this way, each flag becomes a living symbol of continuity, community, and the impact that young innovators can have across the globe.

With these handsewn flags, the tradition of The Earth Prize grows stronger. We celebrate our 2025 Regional Winners and their achievements, and we look forward to the next generation of teams who will continue to carry these flags and their legacy.