Prince William is arriving in Brazil today for the fifth annual instalment of his Earthshot Prize Awards in Rio de Janeiro and has spoken out about the effect his children have on his work
Prince William has told how his three children inspire him on his mission to help find climate change solutions for our planet, as he prepares to land in Rio de Janeiro for the start of his Earthshot Prize awards.
The Prince of Wales today arrives in Brazil, the fifth instalment of his global environmental project that will culminate in a star studded awards show in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday. The future king told how he wants his children to grow up in a world “surrounded by nature, opportunity and a sense of hope about the future”, which spurs him on to shine a light on those “who refuse to give up on our planet”.
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William, dad to Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10 and Prince Louis, seven, launched the Earthshot Prize in 2020, to award five £1 million prizes to entrepreneurs and innovators who have come up with solutions to the world’s biggest environmental issues of our time.
Now at the half way stage of a “deacde of action”, William has taken his awards every year from London, to Singapore, Boston in the US and last year in Cape Town, South Africa. This week will celebrate the awards for the first time in Latin America, with a star studden line up in Rio de Janeiro.
William said: “As a father, I think constantly about the world my children will inherit. I want them to grow up surrounded by nature, opportunity and a sense of hope about the future. But I also know that unless we act boldly now, that future is at risk. The Earthshot Prize is about turning the tide, about proving to our children that we are willing to fight for their tomorrow.”
The prince also spoke about the central focus of the project, saying: “Urgent optimism is the heartbeat of The Earthshot Prize.
Speaking to Hello! magazine prior to landing, he said: “It’s the belief that although the challenges we face are immense, the solutions are within reach and we must act with speed and conviction to bring them to life. It’s not blind hope. It’s hope backed by evidence, by ingenuity and by the courage of those who refuse to give up on our planet.”
“I feel deeply honoured to be heading to Brazil, a country of extraordinary natural beauty and cultural vibrancy. Rio, with its energy, its people and its iconic landscapes, feels like the perfect place to celebrate the power of environmental innovation.
“This region is home to some of the world’s most vital ecosystems and some of its most passionate environmental defenders. mBy hosting the prize in Brazil, we’re shining a light on the solutions emerging from this part of the world and drawing global attention to the urgency and opportunity of climate action.”
This week, Rio will be transformed into Earthshot City, and a three-day Earthshot Summit will culminate in the awards ceremony at the waterfront Museum of Tomorrow.
Brazilian World Cup-winning footballer Cafu and TV star Luciano Huck will form the presenting duo, supported by Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel, Brazil’s most decorated Olympian gymnast Rebeca Andrade and Txai Suruí, a leading voice for Brazil’s Indigenous communities and the environment.
Speaking ahead of a special performance at the awards, Australian superstar Kylie Minogue said: “Brazil – I’m coming back! It’s a privilege and an honour to be part of The Earthshot Prize in Rio, on stage with the people and the ideas that could save our planet.”
Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey has also voiced a trailer for the awards called Meet the World’s True Action Heroes, featuring the 15 finalists and showcasing their solutions.
Brazilian supermodel and environmental campaigner Gisele Bündchen also forms part of this year’s star studded line up, joining the Earthshot Prize Council, which will select this year’s five winners.
Jason Knauf, the chief executive of The Earthshot Prize, said William founded the awards because “this decade is critical”.
He added: “It is a window in which we still have time to act – and because Prince William believes that it can be a great human success story. That, with urgency and optimism, we can make these years count.”
William launched the prize in 2020, inspired by U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 “Moonshot” speech that challenged Americans to go to the moon by the end of that decade. William’s goal is to accelerate the pace of environmental innovation to combat problems such as climate change, ocean plastic pollution and loss of wildlife habitat by 2030.
Selected from nearly 2,500 nominees, from 72 countries, the 2025 Finalists represent exceptional climate leadership.nThe ceremony is expected to reach a combined audience of 34 million in Brazil and the UK – the biggest in the prize’s history, with broadcasts on BBC and Globo.
Jason also said it is William’s desire to use his unique platform for the good of the planet that keeps him optimistic about the future.
He added: “His positive attitude and optimism, it’s genuine and it’s infectious – people want to work with The Earthshot Prize because of the optimism and can-do attitude at the heart of the organisation. That comes straight from the Prince.
“He feels that he has a responsibility to make a contribution in this way. It’s a longstanding family tradition, of working on the environment, and he felt that he had to do it in a way that reflected not only who he was, but also what the modern world expects of its leaders. He also felt that there weren’t a lot of voices that had the ability to talk about environmental issues in a positive way and give a long-term view, in the way that he does.
The iconic Christ the Redeemer monument in Rio de Janeiro will this week be lit up green to celebrate Earthshot.
The Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony is available to watch on the BBC iPlayer from Saturday.
Source: Mirror
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