WILLS TO EARTH: ‘GO GREEN … LIKE ME’
LONDON: Prince William has presented the inaugural Earthshot Prize awards at a star-studded ceremony in London, with green projects in Costa Rica, Italy, the Bahamas and India all picking up prizes.
The new annual awards were created by William to reward efforts to save the planet in the face of climate change and global warming. Five winners were announced, each receiving £1m ($1.85m).
Among those attending the greencarpet event were naturalist David Attenborough and actress Emma Watson, who is a vocal campaigner for sustainable fashion. There were also performances by Coldplay and Ed Sheeran.
The royal family has been outspoken in recent days over the need for action from world leaders to tackle emissions, rather than mere empty promises.
William, who wore a green blazer, said he hoped the awards would help propel the fight
against climate change leading up to the COP26 summit, which opens in Glasgow on October 31.
“The actions we choose or choose not to take in the next 10 years will determine the fate of the planet for the next thousand,” he said.
“The future is ours to determine. And if we set our minds to it, nothing is impossible.”