Ahead of the fifth Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony, Prince William has spoken to Hello! about the drive behind his environmental award and how he really feels about travelling to Brazil for this year’s ceremony.
William’s visit will see him conduct a number of engagements in the lead up to the Awards Ceremony, as well as attend COP30 where he will deliver a landmark speech.
William discussed how as a father of three, he is constantly worried about the world his children will inherit one day. He added: ‘I want them to grow up surrounded by nature, opportunity and a sense of hope about the future. But I also know that unless we act boldly now, that future is at risk.
‘The Earthshot Prize is about turning the tide, about proving to our children that we are willing to fight for their tomorrow.’
The Prince notes how at the centre of The Earthshot Prize is ‘urgent optimism’ with the belief ‘that although the challenges we face are immense, the solutions are within reach and we must act with speed and conviction to bring them to life’.
Speaking about travelling to Brazil for the fifth Awards Ceremony, William stated that he was ‘deeply honoured’ to be visiting noting that it is ‘a country of extraordinary natural beauty and cultural vibrancy’.
‘This region is home to some of the world’s most vital ecosystems and some of its most passionate environmental defenders. By hosting the prize in Brazil, we’re shining a light on the solutions emerging from this part of the world and drawing global attention to the urgency and opportunity of climate action.’
The Prince travelled on a scheduled commercial flight for the event.
Additionally, Jason Knauf, Chief Executive of The Earthshot Prize, added some additional comments as someone who has worked with The Prince for a number of years having previously worked as CEO of The Royal Foundation until early 2022 and served as Communications Secretary for both William and Catherine and Harry and Meghan before their offices separated.
Jason stated that William is already doing his bit to help this year’s finalists, noting that ‘he’s very happy to roll up his sleeves, get on the phone or travel to meetings; he’s always thinking about how he can help create new opportunities for our finalists’ and ‘enjoys supporting their leadership and their ideas’.
Highlighting how William’s passion for his environmental project has developed from the desire to use his platform for good adding how championing the environment is a ‘longstanding family tradition’ and also felt that ‘there weren’t a lot of voices that had the ability to talk about environmental issues in a positive way and give a long-term view, in the way that he does’.
Knauf added: ‘Everything comes from him. He can build an incredible team of philanthropists, business leaders, corporations and scientists to work together, and he has invested his time in making things happen because of who he is and his temperament. His positive attitude and optimism, it’s genuine and it’s infectious – people want to work with The Earthshot Prize because of the optimism and can-do attitude at the heart of the organisation. That comes straight from the Prince.’
