Charles calls for a green recovery as world ends its lockdown
Prince will urge key figures to use ‘unique opportunity’ to put the planet first
THE PRINCE OF Wales will call on world leaders to capitalise on the “unique but narrow window” to put “planet and people first” in the wake of the pandemic, as he announces a “Great Reset” project.
The Prince is to co-host an event with the founder of the World Economic Forum to bring about a “green recovery”, encouraging businesses and politicians to ensure they “build back better” as they cope with the repercussions of the Covid-19 crisis.
Prince Charles, who has long advocated for the health of the planet to be placed at the heart of economies, will work with Klaus Schwab, chairman of the World Economic Forum, on the event, due to take place online on June 3.
It is intended to build on the Sustainable Markets Initiative, launched by the Prince in January in a bid to “accelerate the global transition to sustainable markets and decarbonisation”.
As the world attempts to rebuild from coronavirus, organisers hope to persuade key figures that they must place an “environmentally sustainable future” at the heart of their plans.
“No one could have anticipated this horrific pandemic but one unmistakable positive consequence of it is that the environmental pollution that has been so hard to slow in recent decades has virtually ground to a halt in some key areas almost overnight,” said a Sustainable Markets Initiative spokesman.
“Before, industries simply returned to the old ways of doing things. This group, led by the Prince and Professor Schwab, is setting out to show we have a chance to recover by doing things differently and with a lot less negative impact on the world we live in.”
Describing how it would build on the Prince’s address to Davos earlier this year, the spokesman said the Prince had been working with Prof Schwab and global leaders since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic “to determine how Sustainable Markets can serve as a catalyst to ‘build back better’ and to create a more environmentally sustainable future”.
He added: “The Prince believes that as countries and businesses around the world look to rebuild after this crisis, there is a unique but narrow window of opportunity to accelerate the sustainability agenda in a way that puts people and planet first.
“Today we see growing momentum around a ‘green recovery’.”
The forum will take place online, as travel restrictions prohibit leaders meeting in person. Guests will include Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, and Brian Moynihan, president and CEO of Bank of America.
In Davos, the Prince spoke of the world being “in the midst of a crisis”, with “global warming, climate change, and the devastating loss of biodiversity … the greatest threats humanity has ever faced”.