Prince William and ??????? ???????? ??????????Sir David Attenborough have teamed up to launch something pretty cool.
The future king and the broadcasting legend are joining forces to launch The Earthshot Prize, which will award a total of £50 million ($64.6 million) in prize money over the next decade. 50 prize winners will be awarded £1 million for "new solutions" and ideas to tackle key environmental challenges.
It is the biggest environmental prize in history, according to the BBC. The prize aims to "incentivise change and help to repair our planet over the next ten years – a critical decade for the Earth," per the website.
The name takes its inspiration from US President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot project which, during the 1960s, set out to put the first person on the moon. The Earthshot Prize centres around "five ‘Earthshots’ – simple but ambitious goals for our planet which if achieved by 2030 will improve life for us all, for generations to come." Those five "earthshots" include finding solutions for climate change, cleaner air, reviving oceans, protecting and restoring nature, and creating a waste-free culture.
SEE ALSO: Sir David Attenborough breaks Jennifer Aniston’s Instagram recordPrince William explained in a BBC interview that those five areas were chosen after consulting with a panel of experts who all agreed that they were the "key crux areas that we had to challenge."
"If we can find solutions, we're looking at 50 solutions over the next 10 years that can really turn the tide and really change the way we deal with and tackle the environmental challenges, then it would have been a success and worth it," Prince William explained.
So, who can take part? The award is open to people all over the world, from individuals, activists, scientists, schools, and community groups, to governments, businesses, leaders, cities and even countries.
Sir David Attenborough also added that even the most far-fetched ideas that "may sound crackpot" are encouraged.
The prize money will be granted to support environmental and conservation projects chosen by the winners and prize committee. Shortlisted participants will also receive support and opportunities to get their ideas off the ground. Awards ceremonies will be held in different cities around the world from 2021 to 2030, with the first taking place in London, UK, next year.
More information about entering the prize can be found on the Earthshot Prize website.
Get those thinking caps on!
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Topics Social Good Sustainability