Prince William the Planet's 'biggest cheerleader' as future King kicks off Earthshot Prize

Prince William has been called the “biggest cheerleader for the planet” as he visits Singapore to open his annual Earthshot Prize ceremony.

Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, founder and chief executive of one of the two British finalists, Enso, a London-based company that makes tyres for electric vehicles to extend their range and reduce tyre pollution, hailed the impact of the Prince of Wales and the Earthshot Prize.

“There is nothing like it on the planet,” he said, praising William. “There is probably nobody else who could have done it.

“He is probably the biggest cheerleader for the planet at this stage.”

William, 41, was greeted by a cheering crowd when he arrived in Singapore to focus on his third environmental award ceremony.

“It’s fantastic to be back in Singapore for this year’s Earthshot Prize ceremony, after 11 years,” he said. “Singapore’s bold vision to be a leader for environmental innovation sets the standard for others to follow.”

The heir to the throne launched the £50 million Earthshot Prize in 2020, aiming to find technological innovations to solve the world’s biggest environmental problems over the next decade.

He will be in Singapore, one of the world’s most environmentally-friendly cities, until Wednesday evening for a series of events based around the third international awards ceremony for his prize.

Five winners, each to be given £1 million to help scale up their businesses over the next year, will be chosen from 15 finalists from around the world, including two from Britain.

The finalists have all been flown into Singapore for a five-day retreat at which top business executives, financiers, philanthropists, and politicians are giving them expert advice on how to turn their ideas into commercial successes.

They had a session with former New Zealand prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern yesterday on leadership and dealing successfully with governments.

William believes in harnessing the world’s power to innovate to provide technological solutions that allow us to carry on flying, driving, and enjoying increasing wealth.

His annual prizes over 10 years are given in five categories: protecting and restoring nature; cleaning our air; reviving our oceans, building a waste-free world; and fixing our climate.