The Prince of Wales has been named on the TIME100 Climate list for his work with the Earthshot Prize, marking the fourth consecutive year he has been included by TIME.
The annual list recognises 100 people, from business founders to celebrities, who are driving meaningful action on climate change. William appears alongside environmental academics, entrepreneurs, politicians and celebrities including actor Benedict Cumberbatch, musician Brian Eno, and Sesame Street character Elmo.
Earthshot Prize Background
William launched the prize in 2020, drawing inspiration from U.S. President John F. Kennedy's 1962 "Moonshot" speech, which challenged Americans to reach the moon by the end of that decade. The future King's goal is to accelerate environmental innovation to combat problems such as climate change, ocean plastic pollution and loss of wildlife habitat by 2030.
Speaking about this year's list, TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs said: "To assemble this group, our editors and correspondents reviewed hundreds of names, with a particular focus on those who achieved measurable and sustainable action over the past 12 months."
Impact of Earthshot Initiatives
According to TIME's profile on William, the Earthshot Prize's impact report this year shows that its finalists have collectively helped avoid or capture more than 18 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, equal to the annual emissions of four million cars. Additionally, some 143 million acres of land, forests and freshwater systems have been protected or restored, and air quality has been improved for 600 million people worldwide due to Earthshot initiatives.
In a matter of weeks, William will head to Mumbai, India, for this year's Earthshot Prize, where five winners will be awarded £1 million each to further their ideas to fight climate change. Awards are presented in five categories: Protect and restore nature; Clean our air; Revive our oceans; Build a waste-free world; and Fix our climate.
Mumbai Hosts 2026 Awards
Mumbai was announced as the 2026 host city in February during the city's inaugural Climate Action Week. William described India as one of the most "important forces for climate and nature". In a video, he said: "India is one of the world's most important forces for climate and nature. What succeeds in India at scale has the power to inspire progress everywhere."
William's Earthshot project is over halfway through its decade-long cycle, with annual awards already staged in London, Singapore, Cape Town, Boston and Rio de Janeiro. The upcoming ceremony in Mumbai will continue this cycle, supporting innovators working to repair and restore the planet by 2030.
