William speaks of his faith the world can ‘repair and regenerate our planet’
The Earthshot prize awards ceremony is taking place in Boston and honours environmental pioneers.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Prince of Wales has likened his faith that the world can “repair and regenerate our planet” to the belief of former US President John F Kennedy that man could land on the moon.
He described the current time as a “critical decade” in trying to overcome the destruction of unique habitats, plus the pollution of the atmosphere and oceans.
William was speaking during a film aired at the ceremony in Boston for his Earthshot Prize which honours environmental pioneers.
He said: “From Moonshot to Earthshot, the seemingly unsolvable can be solved.”
In May 1961 President Kennedy declared to Congress the goal of landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to step on the moon in July 1969.
During the film William states: “Earth holds such splendour and gives us many things – beauty, curiosity, joy, and most importantly, Earth gives us life.
“For too long, many of us have taken for granted everything our planet gives us.
“We have polluted our atmosphere and our oceans, and have destroyed many unique habitats.
“This year, we have seen the influence of climate change like never before with record high temperatures and extreme weather events causing devastation across every continent, affecting people’s health and livelihoods.
“The urgency needed to save the planet is ever accelerating, while the time we have to make meaningful changes is ebbing away.
“But just as President John F Kennedy had faith that humankind could put a man on the moon, I have the same faith today that we can repair and regenerate our planet in this critical decade.
“From Moonshot to Earthshot, the seemingly unsolvable can be solved.”
The Earthshot finalists are seeking solutions that will protect and restore nature, revive the oceans, clean air, build a waste-free world and fix the climate.
William said their “ambition and innovation” will “help put the world on a path towards a stable climate, where communities, nature and oceans thrive in harmony”.
He added: “Together we can achieve a sustainable future for generations to come.
“Together, we will change the future of our planet.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.