The Duke of Cambridge has announced today a new environmental initiative, the Earthshot Prize, “an ambitious set of challenges initiating global, cross-sector action that will repair the planet,” according to Kensington Palace.
Kensington Palace said that William is “kick-starting 2020 with a new drive to dispel the current pessimism around the environment, and replace it with fresh optimism and action.”
The prize, which will be given out in a different city each year between 2021 and 2030 to five winners per year, was revealed in a new film narrated by Sir David Attenborough that encourages Earth’s problem solvers to work to solve the world’s environmental issues. It drew inspiration from the concept of moonshots that have been known since the 1969 moon landing as a shorthand for ambitious and ground-breaking goals.
Who is ready to lead as we make the 2020s a decade of action to repair our planet?
Introducing the @EarthshotPrize ? pic.twitter.com/sYT5xBQ1Zo
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) December 31, 2019
Attenborough said in the film, “The spirit of the Moonshot can guide us today as we confront the serious challenges we face on earth. This year Prince William and a global alliance launch the most prestigious Environment Prize in history. The Earthshot Prize. A global prize designed to motivate and inspire a new generation of thinkers, leaders and dreamers to think differently. Visionaries rewarded over the next decade for responding to the great challenges of our time.”
“The Prize will encourage people to do more, to find new solutions that work on every level which will have a positive effect on environmental change and improve living standards globally, particularly for communities who are most at risk from climate change,” Kensington Palace explained.
The Duke said, “The earth at a tipping point and we face a stark choice: either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet or we remember our unique power as human beings and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve. Remember the awe inspiring civilisations that we have built, the life-saving technology we have created, the fact that we have put a man on the moon. People can achieve great things. And the next ten years presents us with one of our greatest tests – a decade of change to repair the Earth.”
Prince William is set to team up with global partners on a decade long project to help the environment and reach all over the globe. This initiative has been in development for over a year with more than 60 experts and organisations and “will refocus global attention on finding answers to the biggest issues currently facing the planet including: climate and energy, nature and biodiversity, oceans, air pollution and fresh water.”
William is passionate about the environment and wanted to build upon the work of his father on climate change, his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh’s work in conservation, as well as his own work with the Illegal Wildlife Trade.
The project will be formally launched later this year but work is already underway. It has been designed and administrated by the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It is expected that the prize will eventually become an independent organisation.
The Duke has consulted with family members over the project and hopes many of them will be involved.
Earthshot challenges will be announced in special events across the globe.
The new initiative aims to provide at least 50 solutions to the world’s greatest problems.
