Prince of Wales kicks off Earthshot Week in Cape Town

THE next in line to be Britain’s monarch, Prince William, will arrive in Cape Town today to celebrate environmental innovation.

The Prince of Wales will kick off Earthshot Week, a celebration dedicated to recognising and amplifying groundbreaking solutions to some of the planet’s most pressing challenges.

With influential discussions, star-studded performances, and a focus on sustainable development, the Earthshot Prize aims to galvanise collective action and inspire future generations to safeguard our planet.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says they are looking forward to welcoming the Prince of Wales to Cape Town for this prestigious global prize-giving ceremony.

“Our city feels a great resonance with Earthshot’s objectives. Cape Town is making an SA-record R120 billion infrastructure investment over ten years, with a full 40% of our project portfolio focusing on climate change interventions.

“This includes new sources of water supply, a major transition to green energy, cutting-edge wastewater treatment technology, and much more.

“We are excited to join the insightful discussions taking place throughout the week on solutions to the major environmental issues of our time,“Hill-Lewis said.

Hosted by Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Billy Porter and award-winning television presenter Bonang Matheba, the Awards will feature some of the world’s biggest musicians, artists, athletes, and advocates.

Speaking ahead of his visit to South Africa, The Prince of Wales said:

“Africa has always held a special place in my heart – as somewhere I found comfort as a teenager, where I proposed to my wife and most recently as the founding inspiration behind The Earthshot Prize. It was in Namibia in 2018 that I realised the power of how innovative, positive solutions to environmental problems could drive transformative change for humans and nature.”

“I am proud that since its inception The Earthshot Prize has travelled to Europe, North America and Asia, spotlighting and scaling 45 groundbreaking solutions, all of which are having a tangible impact as we work as a global collective to secure the future of our planet. This week we’ll travel to South Africa to spotlight our next cohort of 15 Finalists and have the opportunity to join partners from across Africa to celebrate the inspiring approach to environmental innovation that is taking place across the continent.”

“By the end of the week, I want The Earthshot Prize to have provided a platform to all those innovators bringing about change for their communities, encouraged potential investors to speed African solutions to scale and inspired young people across Africa who are engaged in climate issues. I firmly believe that, if we come together with collective ambition and urgency, we can reshape the future of our planet.”

Cape Argus