Prince William Launches The Earthshot Prize

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pledging to help tackle environmental issues that threaten the planet.

The Earthshot Prize, which was announced in a new film narrated by Sir David Attenborough, will encourage people and organisations to create new and innovative solutions to environmental problems. A statement from Kensington Palace referenced some of the crucial issues as being related to "climate and energy, nature and biodiversity, oceans, air pollution, and fresh water".

In a statement announcing the prize, Prince William said, "The earth is at a tipping point and we face a stark choice: either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet or we remember our unique power as human beings and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve. Remember the awe inspiring civilisations that we have built, the life-saving technology we have created, the fact that we have put a man on the moon. People can achieve great things. And the next 10 years presents us with one of our greatest tests—a decade of change to repair the Earth."

The couple shared a photo of William, which was taken by his wife "at a glacier in the Hindu Kush mountain range, situated in the Chitral District of Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province".

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took to Instagram to share the news and wrote the following.

"The earth is at a tipping point and we face a stark choice: either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet or we remember our unique power as human beings and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve.

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Remember the awe inspiring civilisations that we have built, the life-saving technology we have created, the fact that we have put a man on the moon.

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People can achieve great things. And the next ten years present us with one of our greatest tests - a decade of action to repair the Earth.”

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Led by Prince William and a global alliance, the @EarthshotPrize will inspire the the planet’s greatest problem solvers to solve Earth’s greatest problems: the emergencies facing our natural world."

So far, Hillary Clinton has pledged her support for the initiative and tweeted: "With Australia on fire and the Arctic in meltdown, it's clear we're in a climate emergency. I'm proud to support @EarthshotPrize from @KensingtonRoyal, a new effort to inspire Earth's greatest problem solvers to repair the natural world."

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This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR UK.

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