Prince William to Attend Earthshot Prize Awards in Brazil as 2030 Climate Deadline Looms
RIO DE JANEIRO – Prince William will travel to Brazil this November for the earthshot Prize awards ceremony, marking a key moment in the initiative’s mission to accelerate environmental solutions ahead of a critical 2030 deadline for climate action. The event, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, will spotlight 10 finalists developing innovative approaches to address the planet’s greatest environmental challenges.
The Earthshot Prize, launched by Prince william in 2020, aims to incentivize and scale solutions to repair the planet by 2030. With that target rapidly approaching, the Prince has emphasized the urgency of the moment, stating in a recent video message, “Back then, a decade felt a long time…But today, as we stand halfway through this critical decade, 2030 feels very real. 2030 is a threshold by which future generations will judge us; it is the point at which our actions, or lack of them, will have shaped forever the trajectory of our planet.”
The Brazil ceremony coincides with the lead-up to the COP Climate Conference in Belem, on the edge of the Amazon Rainforest, further highlighting the importance of collaborative environmental efforts. Jason Knauf,the new CEO of the Earthshot Prize,underscored the unprecedented network Prince William has cultivated,stating,”There’s never been a group of people working together on a single habitat project in the way they have with the Earthshot Prize. Prince William has been completely relentless in building that network.”
Past Earthshot Prize events have included appearances from prominent figures such as actor billy Porter, alongside Earthshot ambassadors Robert Irwin and Nomzamo Mbatha, who joined Prince William onstage at the 2024 awards. The Prince believes backing these projects is crucial, adding, ”The people behind these projects are heroes of our time, so let us back them. Because, if we do, we can make the world cleaner, safer and full of opportunity - not only for future generations, but for the lives we wont to lead now.”
