Prince William calls for action now to save the planet

Prince William has warned “waiting is not an option” when it comes to saving the planet.

The Duke of Cambridge has teamed up with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to help issue a “call to action” on environmental issues, as the pair penned an editorial to shine a light on the prince’s Earthshot Prize initiative.

The pair wrote for USA Today newspaper: “The science tells us that this is the decade to act — and that waiting is not an option.

“We must meet this moment with the optimistic spirit of President Kennedy’s Moon Shot.

“To promote that goal, one of us (Prince William) established The Earthshot Prize, a global effort to find and celebrate solutions to the world’s greatest environmental challenges over the next 10 years.

“[The Earthshot Prize is] a new call to action to the world: to unleash and support a new generation of invention, innovation and entrepreneurship propelled by a shared sense of urgency to address the crisis at hand and optimism that humanity can achieve seemingly insurmountable goals.”

But the pair also offered hope for the future after witnessing an “incredible new global wave” of people coming up with ideas to tackle the environmental problems of the world.

They wrote: “We see an incredible new global wave of innovators and entrepreneurs turning crises into opportunities, developing breakthrough solutions that can regenerate our planet while stimulating livelihoods.

“It’s an unseen movement that we are determined will become a powerful engine behind a new growth economy, and a new, better way of life for all.”

Earlier this month, 39-year-old William announced the 15 finalists for The Earthshot Prize.

On 17 October, five winners will be named during an awards ceremony, with each winning a £1 million prize to help advance their work.