In a video message, William looked back at the first 20 years of this century. “We live in a time that determines the fate of humanity,” he said. “What we do or fail to do now is crucial to the next thousand years of our planet.”
According to William, all is not lost. He said that humanity has proven before in history that it “solves the unsolvable.” Moreover, many answers to the climate problem are already available. And the prince added, “But we need everyone. Only together can we restore our planet. It is up to us to determine the future. And if we are truly committed, nothing is impossible.”
The five awards in various categories were presented by several celebrities, including Liverpool player Mohamed Salah and actress Emma Thompson. Catherine also presented one of the awards. There were also performances by Coldplay, Yemi Elad, Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran.
The Earthshot Prize aims to become an annual event over the next 10 years, with five projects receiving £1 million each to further shape their project.
This year, the cash prizes went to the city of Milan, which is doing a lot to reduce food waste. A project to restore coral reefs in Australia has also been awarded. Costa Rica has won awards for restoring the country’s forests.
Next year, the United States will host the Earthshot Award. Prince William himself announced this at the end of the programme.
