University Announces St Andrews Prize for the Environment Finalists

The University of St Andrews has announced the three finalists for the 2026 St Andrews Prize for the Environment — now in its 27^th year, with a $95,000 USD award for the winning project.

This year’s shortlist spans three continents and reflects a broad range of approaches to the environmental crisis, including urban wildlife corridors in Costa Rica, Indigenous-led education in Guyana, and climate-smart water infrastructure in Rwanda.

The Sloth Conservation Foundation’s Connected Gardens project in Costa Rica, founded by Dr Rebecca Cliffe in 2017, addresses the fragmentation of forest habitats caused by rapid urban expansion. With Costa Rica’s human population having doubled in 40 years, and urban development rising by 250%, the project creates networks of small biological corridors through cities, allowing arboreal species to move safely through landscapes increasingly dominated by roads and buildings.

In Guyana, the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS) — one of the country’s leading Indigenous-led conservation NGOs — has developed an environmental education curriculum blending scientific knowledge with traditional Indigenous understanding. The programme equips young people in communities responsible for safeguarding over 25% of the world’s land mass, with the skills to address environmental challenges in their own backyards.

Rwanda’s IRIBA Water Group, founded by Yvette Ishimwe in 2017, rounds out the shortlists with its Tap&Drink system, which uses solar-powered smart water ATMs to purify local water sources using energy-efficient technology. The innovation tackles two crises at once — the reliance on firewood and charcoal to boil unsafe water, and the proliferation of single-use plastic water sachets — while generating verified carbon credits to sustain its operations.

In 2026, the Prize marks a notable evolution in how submissions are assessed. This year, applicants were asked to include a proposal for a student placement — a new requirement that drew strong engagement from the judging panel. A University spokesperson said the judges “were enthused by the take-up of this new proposal and saw some very strong submissions.”

Beyond the prize money itself, the University emphasised the longer-term value which the recognition brings. “The Prize has historically served to elevate the work of previous winners,” the spokesperson said, “both by extending the impact of the conservation activities and by increasing visibility across the globe.”

Established in 1998, the Prize was a pioneer in the now-crowded field of environmental awards. The University sees its continued stewardship of the Prize as part of a broader responsibility: “We maintain this leadership role as part of our responsibility towards sustainable stewardship of the planet, a role we take seriously.”

Forthcoming, the three finalists will present their projects to judges and students at St Andrews on 17 March, 2026, during the institution's Sustainability Week from 16-22 March. The winner will be announced that evening.

The week will also feature a keynote from Professor Sir Jim Skea, Chair of the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), whose talk — Climate Change: Down to Earth Solutions — will open proceedings on 16 March. The event is open to the wider St Andrews community.

Since its founding, the Prize has awarded more than $2.7 million USD to organisations, innovators, and community groups worldwide.

Photo Provided by The University of St Andrews