The Prince of Wales delivered a speech urging world leaders to come together to protect the planet for future generations.
In a video speech shown at the United Nations General Assembly in New York as part of the Leveraging probability for 30×30 and Beyond: The road to CBD COP16 event, an impassioned Prince William spoke of the “grave threat” facing the planet.
In the same week the royals announced the Shortlisted for 15 of its prestigious annual Earthshot Prize awards, William, 42, was filmed in a very English setting, likely the family home in Windsor.
William, still sporting his stubble and wearing a smart grey blazer and white shirt, spoke about how his travels around the world had seen him “humbled by the extraordinary beauty of the Earth”.
Addressing the ambition to harness 30×30 and beyond: the road to CBD At the COP16 event held at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, a dapper-looking 42-year-old William recorded a video message in which he told leaders “we are in this together” as he discussed the planet’s natural crisis.
However, he then urged leaders to come together to do more to tackle the nature crisis, saying one million species face extinction.
The Prince said: “If we want to keep this planet habitable for our children and grandchildren, we must act urgently.”
He added: “We must act urgently to protect at least 30% of our land, inland waters and oceans by 2030.
‘This means increasing international funding for nature, realigning financial flows from destruction to regeneration, and 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 announced his final potential recipients of the 2024 Earthshot Prize
‘This means working with indigenous peoples and local communities, as traditional custodians of biodiversity, and learning from their wisdom on how to live in harmony with nature. We must all ensure that they have the resources and rights to preserve their territories.
“This means we must stop unsustainable production and consumption of natural resources, redirect harmful subsidies that are wreaking havoc on our natural world and invest in alternative solutions to damaging activities.”
Earlier this week, the royals revealed the potential recipients of their latest Earthshot Prize, and a prize pool of £5 million.
The Prince said there were a record of nearly 2,500 nominations from 139 countries in 2024, each with 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 continue his summer glow by wearing a navy shacket – a modern hybrid of a shirt and jacket – with his much-talked-about beard.
The Earthshot Prize is one of the heir to the throne’s big “passion projects” and seeks to find and enhance positive solutions to the climate crisis in five key areas: protecting and restoring nature, cleaning our air, reviving our oceans, building a waste-free world and fixing our climate.
Prince William in a video message filmed in Windsor last month to announce the 15 finalists
Fifteen contestants have made it through to the finals in each category, which will be held in Cape Town in November.
They were selected by an advisory panel of more than 100 experts from around the world with experience in conservation, science and technology, business, finance, academia and policy.
The final winners will each receive a prize of £1 million to develop their initiatives with the support and guidance of the Earthshot team.
The winners will be decided by members of the Earthshot Prize Council, including William, Queen Rania of Jordan, actress Cate Blanchett and environmental legend Sir David Attenborough.
Prince William with actress Hannah Waddingham at last year’s Earthshot Awards in Singapore on November 7, 2023
Among those competing are:
- the Sacred Headwaters Alliance of the Ecuadorian Amazon, made up of 30 indigenous nations that protect an area the size of Germany in the rainforest;
- a company that is on track to provide clean solar home energy solutions to over a billion people in Africa;
- a UK company, MiAlgae, which provides an environmentally friendly feed source for farmed fish;
- an American company that develops biodegradable natural fibers to replace plastics in the fashion, footwear and automotive industries; and
- a social enterprise that produces low-carbon, earthquake-resistant bricks in Nepal.
The Earthshot Prize was founded by William in 2020 and within ten years there will be a total of 50 winners with a prize of £100 million. This year is the fourth edition of the prizes.
Prince William and Kate at the 2022 Earthshot Prize ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 2, 2022.
In his message, William says: ‘Today we celebrate the incredible achievement, unwavering dedication and urgent optimism that drives our fourth class of Earthshot innovators.
‘The passion of these finalists is a testament to what can be achieved when we harness the enormous creativity, ingenuity and optimism of communities around the world.
‘Representing all corners of the planet, these finalists are leading the way in solving some of the most pressing environmental challenges.
‘Their pioneering work inspires hope and action as we work to create a sustainable future for generations to come.’
