Britain’s Prince William on Thursday launched the “most prestigious” environmental prize of all time, aimed at turning “pessimism into optimism” by rewarding innovative solutions to the planet’s biggest problems.
The Earthshot Prize will present five £1 million ($1.3-million, 1.1-million-euro) awards each year for the next 10 years, to “incentivise change and help to repair our planet over the next ten years,” said his office in London.
Kensington Palace described it as the “most prestigious global environment prize in history” and said it was inspired by US president John F. Kennedy’s “Moonshot” project in the 1960s.
“We need to find solutions to be able to live our lives and enjoy our lives and not feel guilty and bad about some of the things we do,” the prince, who is second in line to the throne, told BBC Radio 4 in an interview aired Thursday.
“That ultimately has to change, because I also worry from a mental health point of view, the anxiety and the worry that many of these younger generations are going to have.”
He said he hopes the prize will “galvanise and bring together the best minds, the best possible solutions, to fixing and tackling some of the world’s greatest environmental challenges”.
“The next 10 years are a critical decade for change. Time is of the essence, which is why we believe that this very ambitious global prize is the only way forward.”