The Prince of Wales has made a rallying speech urging world leaders to come together to protect the planet for future generations.
Speaking in a video address shown at the United Nations General Assembly in New York as part of the Leveraging ambition for 30×30 and Beyond: The road to CBD COP16 event, an impassioned Prince William spoke of the ‘grave threat’ the planet is facing.
In the same week the royal announced the 15 finalists of his prestigious annual Earthshot Prize awards, William, 42, was filmed against a very English backdrop, likely the family’s home in Windsor.
William, still sporting his smattering of stubble and wearing a smart grey blazer and white shirt, spoke about how his travels around the globe had seen him ‘humbled by the Earth’s extraordinary beauty’.
Addressing the Leveraging ambition for 30×30 and Beyond: The road to CBD COP16 event held at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, a smart-looking William, 42, recorded a video message in which he told leaders ‘we’re in this together’ as he discussed the planet’s nature crisis
However, he then urged leaders to come together to do more to tackle the nature crisis, stating that a million species face extinction.
The Prince said: ‘If we are to keep this planet liveable for our children and grandchildren, we must act urgently.’
He added: ‘We must act with urgency to protect at least 30% of our land, inland waters, and ocean by 2030.
‘That means ramping up international nature finance, realigning financial flows from destruction to regeneration, as well as rapidly expanding and improving critical protected and conserved areas.
Prince William with the Princess of Wales and Lord Attenborough in 2021 in London; this week the royal unveiled his latest potential recipients of the Earthshot prize 2024
‘It means working with Indigenous peoples and local communities – as the traditional custodians of biodiversity – learning from their wisdom on how to live in harmony with nature. We must all ensure that they have resources and rights to preserve their territories.
‘It means we must halt the unsustainable production and consumption of natural resources. And it means we must redirect harmful subsidies that are wreaking havoc on our natural world and invest in alternative solutions to damaging activities.’
Earlier this week, the royal revealed the potential recipients of his latest Earthshot Prize – and a prize pot of £5million.
The Prince said there had been a record entry of nearly 2,500 nominations from 139 countries in 2024, each boasting a pioneering solution to the most pressing climate and environmental challenges facing the world today.
The Prince of Wales recorded his video message in Windsor last month and appeared to be continuing his summer ‘glow up’ wearing a navy ‘shacket’ – a trendy shirt/jacket hybrid – with his much talked about beard.
The Earthshot Prize is one of the heir to the throne’s big ‘passion projects’ and looks to find and upscale positive solutions to the climate crisis in five key areas: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build A Waste-Free World and Fix Our Climate.
Prince William in a video message filmed in Windsor last month to announce the 15 finalists
Fifteen entrants have made it through to the finals in each of the categories, which will be held in Cape Town in November.
They were chosen by an advisory panel comprised of more than 100 experts from across the globe with backgrounds in conservation, science and technology, business, finance, academia and policy.
The eventual winners will be given a £1million prize each to develop their initiatives with support and guidance from the Earthshot team.
Prince William with actress Hannah Waddingham at last year’s Earthshot Prize Awards in Singapore on November 7, 2023
Among those competing are:
- the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance from Ecuador, comprising 30 indigenous nations that protect an area the size of Germany in the rainforest;
- a company which is on track to provide more than a billion people across Africa with clean solar home energy solutions;
- a UK company, MiAlgae which provides an environmentally friendly food source for farmed fish;
- a US firm developing biodegradable natural fibres to replaces plastics in the fashion, footwear and automobile industries; and
- a social enterprise making earthquake-resilient low carbon bricks in Nepal.
The Earthshot Prize was founded by William in 2020 and will herald a total 50 winners over ten years, with a £100million prize pot. This year is the fourth annual awards.
Prince William and Kate at the 2022 Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 2 that year
In his message, William says: ‘Today, we celebrate the incredible achievement, unwavering dedication and urgent optimism that drives our fourth class of Earthshot innovator.
‘The passion of these Finalists is a testament to what can be achieved when we tap into the enormous creativity, ingenuity, and optimism of communities around the world.
‘Representing every corner of the globe, these Finalists are leading the way in solving some of the most urgent environmental challenges.
‘Their groundbreaking work is inspiring hope and action as we work to create a sustainable future for generations to come.’
