Earthshot prize venue choice draws criticism over Reliance’s fossil fuel links, Vantara controversy

• The Guardian reports criticism of the Earthshot prize’s choice of a Reliance-owned venue.

• Conservationists cite Reliance’s fossil fuel interests and concerns over the Vantara zoo.

• The Earthshot prize says it is paying the standard commercial rate to hire the venue.

The t’s decision to hold its annual awards ceremony at a venue owned by Reliance Industries has drawn criticism from conservationists over the conglomerate’s fossil fuel interests and its philanthropic arm’s funding of the controversial Vantara zoo, according to a report by The Guardian.

The ceremony will take place at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on 17 November, a spokesperson for the Earthshot prize confirmed. Founded by Prince William in 2020, the prize awards £1 million each year to five winners to support conservation work.

The convention centre is part of Reliance Industries, owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani. The conglomerate also owns the Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat, which The Guardian describes as the world’s largest oil refinery.

The report says Reliance’s philanthropic arm funds Vantara, a 400-hectare private zoo founded by Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant Ambani and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.

Vantara houses more than 150,000 animals, representing over 2,000 species. Its collection reportedly includes endangered species such as Madagascar’s radiated tortoise and Brazil’s Spix’s macaw, which is considered extinct in the wild.

Megan Carr of the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum South Africa told The Guardian that holding the event at a Reliance-owned venue could lend “an unearned environmental prestige” to a corporate group facing questions from the global conservation community.

Conservation groups have raised concerns about the speed at which Vantara has acquired animals and their sources, the report said.

The 32-member committee governing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) this week asked India to submit another report on measures taken to address concerns over imports of protected species. It also asked the CITES secretariat to review 11 cases involving unresolved questions about how animals were transferred to Vantara, according to the report.

Joanna Swift, executive director of communications at the Earthshot prize, told the publications that the organisation had not sought a philanthropic partnership with the venue and was paying the standard commercial rental rate.

Swift said the Jio World Convention Centre was selected because it could accommodate an event of the required scale, with the necessary facilities and technical infrastructure. She also noted that it had hosted Mumbai Climate Week in February.

The Guardian stated that Vantara, Kensington Palace and the convention centre had been approached for comment.

Vantara has previously denied allegations of wildlife trafficking. Its website says the facility rescues animals in distress, provides treatment and lifelong care, and rehabilitates those fit to return to the wild. It also says it breeds selected endangered species, with regulatory approval, to support their survival and potential reintroduction.

The report noted that the Supreme Court cleared the zoo last year of allegations that animals had been illegally acquired or mistreated. However, a subsequent CITES fact-finding mission raised concerns about India’s compliance with international rules governing animal imports. It recommended temporary restrictions on India, although the recommendation was later withdrawn.

Susan Cheyne, vice-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s small apes section, told the publications that Vantara’s model had not been shown to support conservation and could increase demand for wild animals in trade.

She said transferring animals from their native countries to private facilities did not necessarily benefit wild populations without transparent plans for their welfare, conservation breeding and possible return.

Daniela Freyer, co-founder of German NGO Pro Wildlife, said an environmental award should be cautious about lending its reputation to an institution facing questions over wildlife imports and fossil fuel links.

The Guardian also reported that Vantara had sought to lobby the UK, which chaired this week’s CITES meetings, to take a more sympathetic view of India’s handling of animal imports. Internal documents reviewed by the publications showed that British ministers had been advised against formally engaging with Vantara.

Defending the choice of Mumbai, Swift said the city was home to significant environmental initiatives and that hosting the ceremony there would bring attention to solutions developed in India and elsewhere.