The Prince of Wales will feature in a new documentary about the Earthshot Prize, an environmental initiative which he founded four years ago.
William will appear in a special introduction to The Earthshot Report on BBC One, which hopes to offer a “dose of urgent optimism” by showcasing the environmental solutions around the world which have been inspired by the competition.
The prince founded the Earthshot Prize four years ago to discover and scale up groundbreaking solutions to repair the planet, with a £50 million prize fund spanning 10 years.
In a trailer on the Earthshot Prize’s social media account, the prince stands in a forest holding an umbrella. “Our planet needs our help and every year counts,” he says, adding: “So what have we achieved in 2024?”
William, who this week will take part in the state visit of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and his wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, will appear in a special introduction to the documentary.
#TheEarthshotReport takes a deep dive into previous Earthshot Finalist stories, looking at the global picture and showing how we are progressing towards a sustainable future.
— The Earthshot Prize (@EarthshotPrize) December 2, 2024
Introduced by Prince William and hosted by @hanwaddingham from 15 Dec on #BBCiPlayer. pic.twitter.com/RpJvm1vVL9
The documentary will be hosted by Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, a supporter of the initiative. “Join us in a special look back at the year, exploring the game-changing solutions on our journey to a sustainable future,” she says in a voiceover.
At the Earthshot awards ceremony earlier this month, William said the prize was a “collaborative movement for change”. Prince William took the chance to pay tribute to Kate, who wasn’t in Cape Town for the glittering ceremony as she eases herself back into public duties following her cancer recovery.
“She’s been…amazing…this whole year. I know she will be really keen to see tonight be a success,” he said.
“I now invite you to join the movement for climate innovation that’s happening around the world,” William added. “Because that’s why we’re here. To champion the dreamers, the thinkers and the innovators from every walk of life, who share an ambition to build a better, more sustainable world.
“We’ll do everything we can to support them and help speed their solutions to scale. Because when they succeed, we all succeed. When they thrive, we all thrive.”
The documentary will feature interviews with Earthshot finalists including Notpla, Amazon Sacred Headwaters, Restor and Mukuru Clean Stoves. It will share the personal stories behind their ideas.
Hannah Jones, chief executive of the Earthshot Prize, said: “At a time when there is so much pessimism about the environment, The Earthshot Report is the dose of urgent optimism we need.
“We are proud to be able to amplify the inspiring stories of Earthshot innovators and showcase the growing global movement of climate creativity they are leading.
“We are honoured to collaborate with the BBC and PBS to bring these compelling stories of Earthshot innovators and entrepreneurs to millions of people across the globe.”
The Earthshot Report will be shown on BBC One and iPlayer at 5pm GMT on Sunday December 15 and on PBS at 8pm ET on Wednesday December 18.
