Prince William is gearing up to leave Britain next month as he’s doing so with “urgent optimism” after finally making the announcement royal watchers have been waiting for.
The Prince of Wales is set to travel to Brazil next month to allocate £1 million each to five exceptional projects selected for the 2025 Earthshot Prize.
William, who established the prize in 2020, will join fellow council members at Rio de Janeiro's awards ceremony on November 5.
Before the upcoming visit, organisers revealed 15 finalists recognised for their exemplary climate action spanning multiple regions and sectors.
The projects came with a British firm developing washing machine filters to combat microplastic pollution and the island nation of Barbados, which is on track to become fossil-free by 2030.
"As we reach the halfway point of the Earthshot decade, I am truly inspired by this year's Finalists, which embody the urgent optimism sitting right at the heart of our mission," Prince William said.
He added, “In just five years, The Earthshot Prize has shown that the answers to our planet’s greatest challenges not only already exist, but that they are firmly within our grasp.”
To note, the five winners will be chosen by Prince William and the Earthshot Prize Council, chaired by Paris Agreement architect Dame Christiana Figueres.
Council member Cate Blanchett said it was “a privilege” to serve alongside the Prince and looks forward to the “debates ahead” as they select the winners.
Prince William and Cate Blanchett will be joined by Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Indra Nooyi, José Andrés, Wanjira Mathai, Nemonte Nenquimo, Luisa Neubauer, Naoko Yamazaki, Ernest Gibson, and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
