Prince William proudly spotted on London bus - to highlight his efforts to save the planet

Prince William proudly spotted on London bus - to highlight his efforts to save the planet The Prince of Wales, known as Prince William, was today joined by fellow environmentalist Robert Irwin to showcase the work of the finalists of his Earthshot Prize Prince William was on a London bus today — to highlight the global success of his Earthshot Prize. The Prince of Wales was joined by fellow environmentalist Robert Irwin - son of the late Australian conservationist Steve Irwin — on the specially-branded route ‘2030’ electric double decker driving through the streets of the capital. The heir and TV star Robert were joined by two young climate campaigners on the bus - the 3,000th to enter the Transport for London fleet. The group took a short journey to London’s historic Guildhall, where his Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly in London was being held during London Climate Action Week. The awards - designed to highlight and scale up some of the world ’s most innovative solutions to the climate change and global environmental crisis — were started in 2020 to run for ten years and hand out £5 million in prize money to winners each year, as well as providing them with mentoring and support. Today’s event brought together finalists and winners, as well as global leaders from business and philanthropy, to celebrate solutions and announce a series of exciting new initiatives. In his speech William, 44, said he had always hoped his Earthshot Prize would "show the world evidence of progress - progress towards what felt like immense climate and nature goals." He said: "Today we have more than belief. We now have proof. Solutions are working. Capital is moving. Policy is shifting. Partnerships are forming. Our finalists are calling. Progress is starting to build on itself. This is why I feel more optimistic than ever. Not because the challenge is smaller than it was, not because the science is less urgent, but because the proof is stronger than ever before. " The prince said that since the start of the awards they have supported 75 Finalists and awarded £25 million in prize funds as well as helping to avoid or capture 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, protecting and restoring 1.4 million square kilometres of land, ocean and coastline, saving 21 million tonnes of water and removing, up cycling or avoiding almost half a million tonnes of waste. He added: "Those numbers matter. They mean individual lives and entire systems are changing as our Finalists achieve big things." Highlighting the fact that the awards are now more than halfway through their decade of change, with India the next venue later this year, he said: "One day people will look back at this decade and ask: when the evidence was clear, what did we do with it? "When we saw forests being restored, did we help restoration spread? When we saw clean air policies working, did we help other cities follow? When we saw the energy systems transform, did we fully commit? When we saw communities on the front-line becoming leaders in resilience, did we stand beside them? "That is the responsibility of this moment. And it is this story that matters, not just the problems we face, but the collective response to tackle them. The challenge can still feel immense but the proof is now in front of us. And history will ask what we did with it." Young campaigner Pranav Sharma, 19, said they discussed a huge range of issues with the future king on their 20 minute bus journey to the awards, saying he was impressed by his "determination for optimism in a time where everyone has so much to deal with." Clover Hogan, 27, added: "It was amazing. It was very down to earth conversation. I think we all come from really different backgrounds and lived experiences, yet we're united by the shared love, nature, the planet, and people, and so it was just really fun conversation. "We're up against a lot of issues. And yet there are countless people throughout the world who are already leading the way. "I think Earthshot is an incredible platform for a number of those solutions. His (Prince William's) role is so important. He can access audiences that many of us within the climate movement potentially can’t." William also attended a conference on Monday, where he urged CEOs of the world’s biggest tech companies to "be the leader you wanted to be when you were growing up" in a plea to try and reverse the planet’s environmental problems. At the launch of London Climate Action Week, the Prince of Wales convened a forum of major tech bosses - including Google, Meta, TikTok, Amazon, Alibaba, Baidu, eBay, Etsy, and Pinterest, to announce a commitment for the first time to end wildlife trafficking on their platforms. Speaking on behalf of the Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife, William spoke of his optimism for the future, but also said more needed to be done to help battle climate change and wildlife degradation. On stage at the Frameless exhibition near Marble Arch, William was joined by actors and environmentalists Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch. The prince told the global business leaders to be "more ambitious and courageous" in their actions to help the environment.