Queen Rania of Jordan has called on the global community to unite in the face of climate change.
The Queen made the statement in a set of remarks recorded in a video message for the first-ever Earthshot Innovation Showcase at Expo 2020 Dubai on 10 February, where the Duke of Cambridge was in attendance.
The event was held at the UAE multinational DP World Pavilion with its Group Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem present.
Queen Rania, as a member of the Earthshot Prize Council, addressed the top environmental innovators and influential business leaders gathered and stressed that every region in the world is under threat due to climate change.
“When it comes to the environment, every region is under threat … human ingenuity is the ultimate renewable resource. And the fuel we need to save our planet rests in our own heads, hearts, and hands,” Her Majesty said.
She said that rising temperatures and shrinking water availability in the Middle East and beyond could not be ignored. She said that the world is “our shared environment,” and it is collapsing under climate change. However, she said that hope is not lost because the future generations are so passionate about the issue.
The Duke of Cambridge shared the Queen’s passion and said in his opening remarks, “We have reason to hope, our future is not yet set, and while the task ahead is great, we still have the ability to repair our planet and create a better world. The Earthshot mission is more than just a prize. It’s a global team effort to spark urgent optimism and game-changing innovation to transform our future.”
The Earthshot Innovation Showcase highlighted five solutions from the 2021 Earthshot Prize finalists that focused on three areas: reviving the oceans, fixing the climate and building a waste-free world.
About these innovations, Queen Rania called them bold but stressed that “we’re all in a race against time.”
She then pressed the world to unite to end climate change: “Every sector has a role to play—public, private, philanthropic. And the bottom line could not be clearer: If we work together, everybody wins.”
