The Duke of Cambridge said great brains and minds should be “trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live”. He also warned about a rise in “climate anxiety” among younger generations.
William spoke to the BBC’s Newscast ahead of the first Earthshot Prize to reward those trying to save the planet. The prize’s name is a reference to the “moonshot” ambition of 1960s America, which saw then-President John F Kennedy pledge to get a man on the moon within a decade.
Speaking about the current space race and the drive to promote space tourism, William said: “We need some of the world’s greatest brains and minds fixed on trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live.
He warned there was “a rise in climate anxiety” among young people who whose “futures are basically threatened the whole time”. “It’s very unnerving and it’s very, you know, anxiety making,” he said.
He also warned the attendees of the summit COP26 , where world leaders will gather in Glasgow at the end of the month, against “clever speak, clever words but not enough action”. “I think for Cop to communicate very clearly and very honestly what the problems are and what the solutions are going to be, is critical,” he said. “We can’t have more clever speak, clever words but not enough action.”
He added that his father, the Prince of Wales, who is known for his longstanding commitment to green issues, had a “really rough ride” when he first started talking about the climate crisis.
