Prince William and Sir David Attenborough join forces on ‘Earthshot’ prize

hey say the search is on for 50 solutions to the world’s gravest environmental problems by 2030.

With £50m to be awarded over a decade, the “Earthshot Prize” is the biggest environmental prize ever.

The Prince said he wanted the planet to be handed over to future generations “in a better state than we found it.”

Anyone could win, said the Prince, as he called for “amazing people” to create “brilliant innovative projects”.

These, he said, could help save the planet.

To mark the event BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme has secured an unprecedented exclusive joint interview with the Prince and Sir David.

During the conversation Prince William said the launch of the new prize marks the moment he takes up the baton of environmental campaigning from his father.

“I feel right now it’s my responsibility”, he said.

The world is “at a tipping point”, explained the Prince, who said the Earthshot Prize is his and Sir David’s effort to ensure we hand the planet on to our children and grandchildren “in a better state than we found it.”

Nick Robinson quoted a Today interview with Prince Charles in which he had said sometimes his ideas on the environment were regarded as a bit “dotty”.

“Was there a time when even you, I wonder, thought, what’s my father banging on about?”, Mr Robinson asked the Prince.

“I regularly wonder what my father’s banging on about. I’m sure every son thinks the same,” Prince William replied.

“He’s talked about this for a long time and long before people sort of cottoned on to climate change. So, I’ve always listened to and learnt and believed in what he was saying.”

“I think the dotty person now would be the person who doesn’t believe in climate change,” the Prince added.

The Earthshot Prize will make five awards of £1m each year for 10 years.