Prince William joins celebrity calls urging Covid spirit in climate fight

Prince William, alongside the celebrity judges of the Earthshot Prize, has called on the world to "harness that spirit of invention" which led to the development of coronavirus vaccines to help tackle the climate crisis.

The Duke of Cambridge launched the Earthshot Prize last October in an effort to find ways and technologies that will help "repair the planet".

A letter to the editor of The Times - signed by the awards judges which include the duke, Sir David Attenborough, actress Cate Blanchett, singer Shakira and Queen Rania of Jordan - calls on the public to understand and combat the climate crisis.

"This Earth Day, as the Leaders Summit on Climate kicks off the countdown to November's COP26 climate conference in the UK, we must be inspired by the ingenuity and determination of the past year," the group said.

"We must transform our relationship with our planet, learning from those already living in harmony with nature and recognising that we all have a part to play.

"As people worldwide queue for their vaccinations, now is the time to harness that spirit of invention and give the Earth a shot too."

Since 1 November last year, more than 100 nominating partners across seven continents have been searching for the first winners of the Earthshot Prize, with the duke saying that he hopes it will become the Nobel prize of the environmental world.

It takes its inspiration from the Apollo moon landings, nicknamed Moonshot, which helped advance mankind's technological achievements, and features five categories which organisers say will improve life for all by 2030.

Every year from 2021 until the end of the decade, winners of the five categories - which will be selected by the duke alongside his celebrity panel - will receive £1 million each.

The first awards ceremony will take place in London next year.

Source: Sky News