The Prince of Wales has spoken about the ‘special place’ the African continent holds in his heart, ahead of his visit to South Africa for the fourth Earthshot Prize Awards.
Cape Town are hosting this year’s awards, which were founded as ‘an ambitious set of challenges to inspire a decade of action to repair the planet’ in 2019 by Prince William and named after the Moonshot plan to put man on the moon. The five ‘Earthshots’ are based around five goals to repair our planet: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean our Air, Revive our Oceans, Build a Waste-free World and Fix our Climate.
The Earthshot Prize was spearheaded by Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge (BBC Studios/James Watkins)
Taking to Kensington Palace’s social media pages prior to arriving in South Africa, The Prince of Wales spoke about how ‘Africa has always held a special place in my heart’ and was a place where he found comfort as a teenager, where he proposed to Catherine and more recently as the ‘founding inspiration’ for The Earthshot Prize.
William reflected that it was in Namibia in 2018 when he ‘realised the power of how innovative, positive solutions to environmental problems could drive transformative change for humans and nature’.
Speaking about the success of the environmental awards, William noted that ‘The Earthshot Prize has travelled to Europe, North America and Asia, spotlighting and scaling 45 groundbreaking solutions, all of which are having a tangible impact’ all of whom are working together to tackle climate change and secure the future of the planet.
‘This week we’ll travel to South Africa to spotlight our next cohort of 15 Finalists and have the opportunity to join partners from across Africa to celebrate the inspiring approach to environmental innovation that is taking place across the continent’
Concluding his message, William states that by the end of this year’s Awards he wants the Prize to ‘to have provided a platform to all those innovators bringing about change for their communities, encouraged potential investors to speed African solutions to scale and inspired young people across Africa who are engaged in climate issues’. He adds that he ‘firmly believes that if we come together with collective ambition and urgency, we can reshape the future of our planet’.
The first engagement for Prince William saw him attend the inaugural Earthshot Prize Climate Leaders Youth Programme, where he engaged with young environmentalists from Africa and Southeast Asia to discuss their sustainability projects and experiences.
The Youth Programme aims to help individuals develop vital leadership skills and networking opportunities for future climate leaders. The participants, who are aged 18-35, were selected from 1800 applications from 50 African countries, with an additional 20 youth joining from Asia. The Prince explored how he and the Earthshot Prize can support youth leaders in their mission to save the planet.
Speaking to young climate activists, HRH said, ‘we believe in you and what you are going to do is change the world – I really believe that. This is the generation that will do that and your solutions are so important and so needed right now’.
Throughout his visit to South Africa, William will be wearing and showcasing sustainable clothing, with his shirt during this first engagement from the Spanish brand, ECOALF.
His Royal Highness then proceeded to head to Ocean View Secondary School to highlight a rugby training and digital skills program run by the Atlas Foundation, formed by former England rugby player Jason Leonard in 2014.
The Foundation’s rugby programme mentors students and helps to foster a safe environment for children away from gangs. During the visit, Prince William spoke to students, coaches and members of the Atlas Foundation and heard more about Atlas’s work in South Africa, including gender-based violence.
William, who is passionate about sport and how it can help further physical and mental wellbeing, took part in rugby coaching sessions with pupils from Ocean View and Masiphumelele High Schools on the school playing fields. He also participated in a digital skills lesson for primary school children from Langa Township in an Atlas Digi Bus.
Watch as South African rugby legend Joel Stranksy gives the Prince of Wales a run for his money on a rugby pitch where met young people from Ocean View, Masiphumelele and Langa Townships who participate in the Atlas Foundation’s rugby training and digital skills programme 🏉 pic.twitter.com/7VDcqvWdNK
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) November 4, 2024
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Similar to Earthshot Week 2023, there will be a week of activities starting with the Prize’s annual Awards Ceremony which will celebrate the 15 Earthshot Prize finalists. The following day will see Earthshot+, a day of conversations aimed at showcasing the impact of this campaign.
Throughout the remainder of the week, The Prince of Wales will attend the Awards ceremony as well as conduct a number of engagements during his visit to South Africa. His Royal Highness will conduct a meeting with President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as meet conservationists and park rangers.
