Prince William awards Earthshot environmental award: “We will find solutions”

In London, Prince William awarded the Earthshot Prize for the first time. He wants to promote new ideas in the fight against climate change. An appeal was made to young people not to lose hope.

At this year’s Earthshot Award ceremony in London, an astronaut spoke of how overwhelming the view out of the window is, how beautiful the blue planet is, but that we also have a responsibility to preserve it. In this respect, the music band Coldplay then set an example. The “pedal powered popstars” performed in front of the Alexandra Palace in London, where the award ceremony took place: Coldplay presented the song “My Universe” and had the electricity required for the performance of 60 cyclists who were pedaling in front of the stage stepped.

A great start for a show that wanted to be much more than just good entertainment. The Earthshot Prize, which was presented for the first time in the presence of Prince William and his wife Duchess Kate, will in future be awarded annually to five projects that are committed to the categories of nature and marine protection, clean air, waste prevention and climate protection.

William designed the award as a ten-year project. He called on young people not to lose hope. “For too long we haven’t done enough to protect the planet for your future,” he said. “In the next ten years we will act. We will find the solutions to fix our planet.”

“If we concentrate, nothing is impossible”

“Scientists have indisputably proven that the planet is at a crossroads,” said William in a video from the London Eye, London’s famous Ferris wheel. The Moonshot, the Americans landing on the moon, showed what was possible. At that time, John F. Kennedy wanted a manned moon landing within a decade, but then it was so far after eight years. It now needs this ambition to save the planet. “We determine our future. And if we focus on that, nothing is impossible,” said William. Encouraging and motivating, that is important to the prince. He hopes to spark a wave of innovation.

British actress Emma Watson also appealed to take up the fight against climate change. “I’ve worked much of my professional life in fictional fantasy worlds where the impossible can be made possible. Now we have to do the same with climate change here in the real world,” said Watson. She was one of the stars of the evening who presented the categories and finalists. Other stars, including Ed Sheeran, provided the musical framework program.

The winners, who can look forward to a million pounds, include the American founders of Coral Vita, who are trying to preserve the coral reefs. To do this, they breed corals that grow 50 times faster than in nature and have good climate resilience.

Awards for environment and technology projects

In the category “Protecting and restoring nature”, Costa Rica has won a whole country. Because of the great destruction of the forest, the government had started paying its citizens to maintain the forest and plant new trees. The forest area then doubled. If Prince William has his way, such projects should set a precedent.

Prize money also went to the maker of a green hydrogen technology device to power buildings and a technology from India that turns agricultural waste into fuel. The Italian city of Milan also received an award for its food waste program, which distributes food from supermarkets and restaurants to those in need.

This first awarding of the Earthshot Prize was – despite the high celebrity factor – as a one-hour TV show, perhaps too compact to develop the really great shine. But it was definitely more than good entertainment. Next year, the award ceremony will take place where the Moonshot was decided: in the USA.