Prince William made a striking entrance to the Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly this morning, travelling to Guildhall London aboard a milestone vehicle in the capital’s green transport revolution.
The Prince of Wales was joined on the journey by Robert Irwin, the wildlife conservationist who serves as an Earthshot Prize Ambassador.
The pair rode on London’s 3,000th zero-emission electric bus, which had been specially decorated with Earthshot branding for the occasion.
During the trip, they were accompanied by several young Londoners, and their conversations focused on current efforts to protect and restore the natural world.
Prince William made a striking entrance to the Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly this morning, travelling to Guildhall London aboard a milestone vehicle in the capital’s green transport revolution.
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The bus journey served as a fitting prelude to an assembly dedicated to celebrating environmental progress and announcing the Prize’s next chapter.
Addressing the assembled audience, Prince William declared that he feels “more optimistic than ever” about the state of environmental action.
The royal explained that this confidence stems not from any reduction in the scale of the challenge, but from mounting evidence that solutions are delivering results.
“Today we have more than belief. We now have proof,” he told delegates.
The Prince of Wales was joined on the journey by Robert Irwin, the wildlife conservationist who serves as an Earthshot Prize Ambassador.
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GETTY
Since the initiative launched in 2020, The Earthshot Prize has received nearly 7,000 nominations from across the globe.
The organisation has backed 75 finalists and distributed £25 million in prize funding over that period.
Prince William emphasised that tangible change is now visible across multiple fronts, noting that “solutions are working, capital is moving, policy is shifting” and “partnerships are forming.”
The finalists’ collective impact has been substantial, with 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide either avoided or captured through their work.
Environmental restoration efforts have extended across 1.4 million square kilometres of land, ocean and coastline, while 21 million tonnes of water have been saved.
The royal explained that this confidence stems not from any reduction in the scale of the challenge, but from mounting evidence that solutions are delivering results.
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GETTY
Waste reduction has also featured prominently, with nearly half a million tonnes removed, upcycled or prevented from entering the environment.
Prince William pointed to specific examples demonstrating that scalable solutions already exist.
“Bogotá proves that air pollution can fall even as a city grows,” he said, while highlighting how Gujarat’s clean air policy has become “a blueprint for others” across India.
The prince also celebrated innovations in ocean protection, energy storage and community-led conservation spanning from Brazil to Bangladesh.
The Earthshot Prize will next travel to India, Prince William announced, describing the nation as “the biggest country on Earth” with “the world’s largest youth population.”
India has produced more Earthshot winners and finalists than any other country, the royal noted, adding that “solutions born there have the power to shape the world.”
He stressed the urgency of the moment, declaring that “the planet does not have time for inch-by-inch change.”
Looking ahead, the Prize aims to support 150 finalists by 2030, with efforts now concentrated on connecting and scaling successful initiatives.
Prince William concluded with a challenge to the audience: “One day people will look back at this decade and ask: when the evidence was clear, what did we do with it?”