BOSTON — Prince William became heir apparent less than three months ago, but he has already been crowned Britain’s chief environmentalist.
On a three-day trip to Boston with Kate, the Princess of Wales, William praised his efforts to draw attention to pollution and climate change and the need to scale up solutions to address them. The efforts will culminate on Friday evening, when the five winners of the royal couple’s Earthshot Prize for environmental innovators will be announced.
“I just appreciate that they’re using the platform and publicity to bring attention to meaningful climate work,” said Joe Christo, managing director of the Stone Living Lab, which researches nature-based approaches to climate adaptation and a of those who met the royal couple in Boston Harbor on Thursday.
“I know his father is a big environmentalist,” he said.
The Earthshot Prize offers 1 million pounds ($1.2 million) in prize money to each of the winners in five different categories: environmental protection, clean air, ocean revitalization, waste elimination and climate change . The winners and all 15 finalists will also receive assistance in expanding their projects to meet global needs.
The winners will be announced at Boston’s MGM Music Hall as part of a glitzy show headlined by Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding, and Chloe x Halle. The show will also feature videos narrated by naturalist David Attenborough and actor Cate Blanchett.
Before attending the ceremony for the Earthshot Prize, the royal couple will visit the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library and Museum. President Joe Biden, who was also in Boston on Friday, plans to greet the couple there.
William follows in the footsteps of his grandfather Prince Philip – the late husband of Queen Elizabeth II – and more recently his father and Elizabeth’s heir, King Charles III.
In his capacity as prince, Charles has for decades been one of Britain’s most prominent environmental voices, spreading the maladies of pollution. Last year, he stood before world leaders at a UN climate conference in Scotland and suggested that the threats posed by climate change and loss of biodiversity were no different from those posed by the coronavirus pandemic. .
But now that he is king, Charles is expected to be careful with his words and should stay out of politics and government policy, in keeping with the traditions of Britain’s constitutional monarchy. This year, he missed the UN climate conference in Egypt.
The move presents an opportunity for William to step into that role as the royal family’s environmental advocate and speak out more forcefully on issues that were once associated with his father.
There is no better example than the Earthshot Prize.
“It’s a big deal with Prince William,” said Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty Magazine. “He knows that he can attract the attention of the most important people. That was really the crux of the Boston trip.
After attending a welcome event Wednesday at City Hall and then a Boston Celtics game, the royal couple spent much of Thursday hearing about the threats of climate change and solutions in the works.
They got a first-hand look at some of the innovations at a green technology startup incubator called Greentown Labs, in Somerville. Among them are solar-powered autonomous boats and low-carbon cement.
“Climate change is a global problem, so it’s important to have global leaders talk about the importance of taking action,” said Lara Cottingham, vice president of strategy and climate impact policy for the Greentown Labs.
William and Kate also chatted with Katherine Dafforn, co-founder of Living Seawalls, an Australian company that designs environmentally friendly ocean infrastructure. “For all of us, time is slowing down,” William said.
After visiting a nonprofit that helps youth stay out of prison and away from violence, they spent time in Boston Harbor. There, they heard about its history and how the coast is changing due to climate change.
The couple’s first trip to the US since 2014 is part of the royal family’s efforts to revamp its international image. After Elizabeth’s death, Charles made it clear that his would be a slow monarchy, with less pomp and ceremony than its predecessors.
