The Prince of Wales spoke virtually to the attendees of the first-ever Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in New York City, connecting the environmentalism of his late grandmother to the innovations of his global environmental prize.
William, who’d been due to attend the Summit before the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September, appeared via video to tell the attendees that in his time of grief, “I take great comfort in your continued enthusiasm, optimism and commitment to The Earthshot Prize and what we are trying to achieve.”
He added, speaking of his grandmother, “Protecting the environment was a cause close to my Grandmother’s heart, and I know she would have been delighted to hear about this event and the support you are all giving our Earthshot Finalists – the next generation of environmental pioneers.”
The royal spoke about the mission of the Earthshot Prize, telling attendees: “Just as President John F. Kennedy so famously said, as he challenged the United States of America to unite behind the goal of putting man on the moon, ‘we choose to do these things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard’, I know that the world is an uncertain place right now. That many families and communities across the globe are facing unimaginable challenges – from conflict to energy crises and food shortages.
“While addressing these in the short-term, we must also remain resolutely focused on tackling the greatest challenges that threaten our tomorrow.
“Because if we don’t, the changing climate will only serve to entrench these immediate challenges into fundamental global issues, severely impacting the lives of each and every one of us.”
The Prince of Wales ended his video message by confirming that he and Catherine plan to attend the Earthshot Prize ceremony in December in Boston. The Earthshot Prize city was announced as Boston in the summer and will be a joint venture with the President John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
