Prince William said today those who don’t believe in climate change are “dotty” because the world is clearly at a “tipping point” for environmental destruction.
The Duke of Cambridge has launched the Earthshot Prize – dubbed the “Nobel Prize for environmentalism” – alongside naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
Appearing on BBC's Radio 4 Today programme, the prince said "there was no more pressing issue than the environment" and it was "his job, his responsibility" to highlight the catastrophic risk of runaway climate change.
The Earthshot Prize will award £50 million ($64.8m) over a decade to the best and most innovative ideas to combat environmental destruction.
DP World, in partnership with Dubai Expo 2020, are among the founding partners of the prize, which is the richest environmental award to date.
The duke was asked about his father Prince Charles, who previously acknowledged his outspoken views on the environment were regarded as “dotty” a few decades ago.
Prince William joked: “I regularly wonder what my father is banging on about. I’m sure every son thinks the same.
“Obviously with my father's environmental credentials he’s talked about this for a long time and long before people cottoned on to climate change.”
He said: “So, I’ve always listened to and learnt and believed in what he was saying.
“But I knew it was a very hard sell 40 years ago to predict and see some of the slow moving catastrophes we're heading towards.”
The prince, who is second in line to the throne, was pressed on whether it was risky for a senior member of the royal family to wade into contentious issues.
He quipped: “I think the dotty person now is the person who doesn’t believe in climate change.”
Sir David agreed Prince William’s assessment “summed up” the majority view now.
“Suddenly we see the writing on the wall,” he said.
The Earthshot Prize will make five awards of £1m each year for 10 years.
Prize open to 'crackpot' ideas
Backed by philanthropists, the prize will be awarded to the best ideas to achieve five "universal goals to repair our planet by 2030".
The goals include: protect and restore nature, clean the air, revive the oceans, build a waste-free world and fix the climate.
The aim is to find "new solutions" that have a positive effect on environmental change and improve living standards globally, particularly those communities most at risk from climate change.
The prize could go to a new technology, a new way of doing things or a new policy.
Prince William said he hoped the prize “reaches everyone around the world”.
"From communities, schools, right up to banks, governments, corporations – anyone and everyone is a part of this and anyone could find the solutions that we need."
Suggestions that "may sound crackpot" are welcome, Sir David said.
The Earthshot Prize council will be made up of Prince William and celebrities from entertainment, sport, business, charity and the environment.
The duke said the money would help people develop their ideas and make a difference to the world.
"We felt the one piece of the jigsaw that was missing was positivity," he said.
“There are a lot of warnings and negativity, which quite rightly there is, because we’re at a critical juncture.
“But there are many people who want to do the right thing by the environment. What they need is a catalyst, a bit of hope, a bit of positivity.
“The prize is about harnessing that optimism.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
THREE
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How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
