Prince Charles Says He's 'Very Proud' of Son Prince William's Environmental Work for Earthshot Prize Awards
Prince Charles praised his son Prince William's "growing commitment to the environment and the bold ambition of The Earthshot Prize" ahead of Sunday's inaugural awards ceremony
The royal family will soon recognize five climate change warriors as part of Sunday's inaugural Earthshot Prize Awards at Alexandra Palace in London.
Prince Charles is also using the event to express his pride in son Prince William, who will present the awards on behalf of the Royal Foundation, as part of his and wife Kate Middleton's ongoing environmental advocacy efforts.
"I am very proud of my son, William, for his growing commitment to the environment and the bold ambition of The Earthshot Prize," Charles said ahead of the event. "As a world, we need to come together to inspire, reimagine and build the sustainable future we so desperately need."
"Over the coming decade, with future generations in mind, The Earthshot Prize, and its inspirational nominees, will help us find the innovative solutions. In parallel, through my Terra Carta and Sustainable Markets Initiative, we will work to mobilize the trillions of dollars required to transition the global economy onto a more sustainable trajectory. Together, with all those who join us, we have a real opportunity to deliver a brighter future for humanity while restoring harmony between Nature, People and Planet," he added.
William is set to introduce the one-hour ceremony in a pre-recorded message from the London Eye. The event aims to turn pessimism around environmental issues into optimism by celebrating the people and places that are driving change in the protection of our oceans, air, and land, with plans for an annual awards ceremony through 2030.
"We are alive in the most consequential time in human history... The actions we choose or choose not to take in the next ten years will determine the fate of the planet for the next thousand," he says in the short film.
"A decade doesn't seem long, but humankind has an outstanding record of being able to solve the unsolvable. Many of the answers are already out there... but we need everyone – from all parts of society – to raise their ambition and unite in repairing our planet," William adds. "The future is ours to determine. And if we set our minds to it, nothing is impossible."
The sustainable event will be hosted by Clara Amfo and Dermot O'Leary, featuring performances by Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, and KSI and Yemi Alade, as well as a performance by Coldplay, powered by the energy from 60 cyclists.
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Presenters for the five awards include Kate Middleton, Emma Thompson, Emma Watson, David Oyelowo, and Mo Salah. Each recipient will be awarded £1 million to fund their innovative solutions for repairing the planet.
The inaugural Earthshot Prize Awards will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and globally on Discovery's Facebook page.