Prince William, the Prince of Wales, took a ride on a specially branded London bus today during London Climate Action Week to highlight the global success of his Earthshot Prize. He was joined by fellow environmentalist Robert Irwin, son of the late Australian conservationist Steve Irwin, on the electric double-decker bus, which was the 3,000th to enter the Transport for London fleet and branded with the route number '2030'.
Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly
The group, including two young climate campaigners, travelled to London's historic Guildhall for the Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly. The awards, launched in 2020 and running for ten years, provide £5 million in prize money annually to winners, along with mentoring and support for innovative solutions to climate and environmental crises. Today's event brought together finalists, winners, and global leaders from business and philanthropy to celebrate solutions and announce new initiatives.
Prince William's Optimistic Speech
In his speech, William, 44, said he had always hoped the Earthshot Prize would "show the world evidence of progress - progress towards what felt like immense climate and nature goals." He stated: "Today we have more than belief. We now have proof. Solutions are working. Capital is moving. Policy is shifting. Partnerships are forming. Our finalists are calling. Progress is starting to build on itself. This is why I feel more optimistic than ever. Not because the challenge is smaller than it was, not because the science is less urgent, but because the proof is stronger than ever before."
Key Achievements of the Earthshot Prize
Since the awards began, they have supported 75 finalists and awarded £25 million in prize funds. According to the prince, these efforts have helped avoid or capture 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, protected and restored 1.4 million square kilometres of land, ocean and coastline, saved 21 million tonnes of water, and removed, upcycled or avoided almost half a million tonnes of waste. William added: "Those numbers matter. They mean individual lives and entire systems are changing as our Finalists achieve big things."
Call for Action and Collaboration
Highlighting that the awards are now more than halfway through their decade of change, with India as the next venue later this year, William questioned: "One day people will look back at this decade and ask: when the evidence was clear, what did we do with it?" He urged commitment to scaling solutions and standing beside frontline communities. Young campaigner Pranav Sharma, 19, who joined the bus journey, said he was impressed by William's "determination for optimism in a time where everyone has so much to deal with." Clover Hogan, 27, added: "It was amazing. It was very down to earth conversation... His role is so important. He can access audiences that many of us within the climate movement potentially can't."
Previous Engagement with Tech Leaders
On Monday, William convened a forum of major tech bosses—including Google, Meta, TikTok, Amazon, Alibaba, Baidu, eBay, Etsy, and Pinterest—to announce a commitment to end wildlife trafficking on their platforms. Speaking at the launch of London Climate Action Week, he urged CEOs to "be the leader you wanted to be when you were growing up" and called for more ambitious and courageous actions to help the environment. He was joined on stage by actors and environmentalists Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch.
