Wills’ rallying cry on climate change
As he prepares to unveil £50m eco prize shortlist...
PRINCE William is urging humanity not to give up in the face of ‘terrifying’ climate change.
The future king says he understands why people feel ‘so despondent, so fearful and so powerless’ when confronted with such a rapidly approaching ‘tipping point’.
But in the foreword to a new book accompanying his landmark £50million Earthshot Prize, he sounds a rare note of optimism.
Recalling his very personal moment of clarity following a trip to Namibia in 2018 that led him to set up the initiative, he says: ‘I was hit by a wave of global pessimism. The headlines were dominated by a sense that world leaders were not moving fast enough.
There was widespread finger pointing and political and geographical division. To those of us following at home, it wasn’t an inspiring sight. I understood why the mood was full of despair, of course. The challenge facing our planet is immense. We were about to enter what scientists say is the most consequential decade in history... The damage we are doing is no longer incremental but exponential, and we are fast reaching a tipping point…
‘The facts look terrifying, and I could see that this risked making people feel like they might as well give up... You could summarise this mood with a simple equation: urgency + pessimism = despondency.’
But William says he then looked to his own experiences – and those of his father and grandfather, both of whom have proved environmental pioneers in their own ways.
Just last month, Prince Charles told Britain’s business leaders in August that they must help in the ‘epic battle’ to avert ‘climate catastrophe’ or the planet was ‘done for’.
William says: ‘Following in their footsteps, I have seen people all over the world face what seem like insurmountable challenges yet come together with collective ambition, and a cando-spirit, to find solutions to them. I strongly believe that change is possible, when you put your mind to it. I started thinking about what to do to change the equation to something else: urgency + optimism = action.’
The prince, 39, decided to take inspiration from American president John F Kennedy’s Moonshot challenge, pushing man’s exploration of space more than ever before, which resulted in the Apollo moon landings.
He decided to recapture that ‘human ingenuity, purpose and optimism’ with the Earthshot Prize, which will today unveil the first 15 finalists – out of 750 entries from across the globe – competing for the £50million prize pot with innovative solutions that could repair the planet and change life on Earth for all.
Every year from 2021 until the end of the decade, winners in five categories will each receive £1million and support from a range of experts after being picked by a judging panel consisting of William and leading figures, including Sir David Attenborough. The winners could be individuals, a group of scientists or activists, businesses, governments and even a city or country.
The prize is likely to be seen as William’s career-defining project, like his father’s Prince’s Trust or grandfather’s Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, and reflects his growing confidence on the world stage. The five winners will be unveiled on October 17 in a ceremony at Alexandra Palace in north London.
Commenting on the inspiration behind the project, William
‘Following in father’s footsteps’ ‘The facts look terrifying. People feel like giving up... but I strongly believ e that change is possible
writes of how the seeds were sown during a visit to Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya in autumn 2018 when he met frontline conservation workers and those from local communities.
Writing evocatively about an early morning trip to try to catch a glimpse of the endangered black rhino, he says: ‘This place has a majestic otherworldly beauty.
‘What makes the environment even more breath-taking is the wildlife that now thrives here.’
William says the ‘optimism and determination’ he witnessed with communities on the ground, fired him to make a difference on his return.
The book, Earthshot: How to Save our Planet, will be available from September 30 and highlights some of the remarkable solutions happening globally to repair the planet.
‘Determination of communities’