The Prince of Wales, 40, spent time with the finalists of his second annual Earthshot Prize — which aims to promote impactful approaches to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges over the next decade — on Thursday afternoon.
He did not come face-to-face with any of the 15 finalists at the awards ceremony in Boston in December, as both winners and finalists stayed at their home bases around the world. But on Thursday, he was able to talk to all the change-makers about their progress so far and their hopes for the future as they gathered at Cumberland Lodge, located in a park close to Windsor Castle.
The group posed together for a photo, with Prince William taking a spot in the middle. “Class of 2022!” the Earthshot Prize captioned the shot on Twitter, along with a green heart emoji.
Prince William said he hopes the finalists will build on the legacy of their predecessors — heard about their groundbreaking plans for this year and beyond. He also took part in two smaller, focused conversations to hear about the opportunities the Earthshot Prize has afforded the winners and finalists so far and what more it can do to break down barriers and accelerate their ambitious plans for the future.
The finalists have been taking part in a retreat, which is part of the prize’s Fellowship Programme, what the organizers call a nine-month timetable designed to help them grow their solutions by unlocking new routes to market, finance and important partnerships.
