Prince William says Earthshot Prize helps keep his 'environmental anxiety at bay'

Prince William, Prince of Wales, appeared alongside Hollywood actors Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch on Monday at a major wildlife conservation forum in London, where he opened up about the personal toll of the climate crisis and the role his Earthshot Prize plays in easing it.

The official Instagram account of the Prince and Princess of Wales shared photographs from the United for Wildlife Business Forum, held as part of London Climate Action Week, marking a decade since the organisation's landmark Buckingham Palace Declaration.

Ten years of fighting illegal wildlife trade

The post's caption reflected on the organisation's decade-long campaign against illegal wildlife trafficking. "Ten years ago, United for Wildlife's Buckingham Palace Declaration united the global transport industry to shut down trafficking routes for the illegal wildlife trade. Today at London Climate Action Week, unitedforwildlife are setting the course for the years ahead," it read.

The caption continued: "Meeting global business and technology leaders committed to protecting vulnerable species and disrupting environmental crime. Encouraging bold action, innovation and collaboration to make wildlife conservation everyone's responsibility."

William, Watson and Cumberbatch on the panel

One of the photographs shared to the account showed Prince William seated beside Watson and Cumberbatch during a panel discussion at the forum. The three took part in a conversation centred on conservation, environmental crime, and the responsibilities of global business and technology leaders.

'Helps me sleep at night'

During the discussion, Prince William spoke candidly about the personal significance of his Earthshot Prize — the global environmental prize he founded to incentivise solutions to the world's greatest environmental challenges. He said the initiative helps "keep my environmental anxiety at bay" and "helps me sleep at night" because it leaves him feeling that "we can do this" and reverse the horrors of climate change.