Britain’s Prince William is to launch an environmental award in 2020 for solutions to the global climate crisis.
Supported by a coalition of organisations and businesses, the multimillion-dollar Earthshot Prize will reward five laureates per year for the next 10 years with a view to finding, by 2030, at least 50 solutions to the most important challenges the world faces, Kensington Palace said in a press release.
In a presentation film, world-famous British naturalist David Attenborough presented the initiative as the “most prestigious environmental prize in history.”
The aim of the 37-year-old prince, who is second in line of succession to the throne of his grandmother, Queen Elisabeth II, is to dissipate the current pessimism about the environment and replace it with optimism and action, his services explained.
The awards will go to scientist, activists, economists, businesses or governments that contribute to proposing solutions to the climate crisis, particularly for the communities most exposed to climate change.
The Duke of Cambridge plans to build a significant coalition of philanthropists and businesses to support his initiative.
“The Earth is at a tipping point and we face a stark choice: either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet, or we remember our unique power as human beings and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve,” Prince William is quoted as saying in the press release.
The date for the first award has not yet been given. Kensington Palace said the launch would be held in a few months’ time and that the ceremonies would be staged in different cities around the world.
The Brussels Times
