Prince William launches Earthshot Prize to repair the planet

PRINCE WILLIAM has launched a new initiative, billed as the world’s most prestigious environmental prize, that seeks to inspire a decade of action to repair our planet.

Over the coming year, the Earthshot Prize will unveil a number of challenges at events around the world. These will seek answers to issues relating to climate, energy, nature, biodiversity, oceans, air pollution and fresh water. The name of the prize is inspired by the “moonshot challenge” that President John Kennedy issued to the US in the 1960s when he gave the country ten years to develop the technology needed to put a man on the Moon.

In a video created to launch the prize, Sir David Attenborough said: “We are at a unique stage in our history. Never before have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet. And never before have we had the power to do something about that.”

“We face a series of unprecedented challenges to nature and life on earth. But humans have an extraordinary power to solve the greatest of challenges.”

The prizes will reward progress across all sectors of industry and society, not just technology. They could be awarded to individuals, teams or collaborations, including scientists, activities, businesses, cities and countries that make a substantial development or outstanding contribution to solving environmental challenges.

While specific details of the challenges or prizes have not been released, a statement announcing the launch of the initiative said a prize will be awarded to five winners per year over ten years with the ambition of providing at least 50 solutions to the world’s greatest problems by 2030.

Prince William said: "People can achieve great things. And the next ten years presents us with one of our greatest tests: a decade of change to repair the Earth”.