Prince William wears £43 tie made from plastic bottles on his eco-trip to South Africa

• William wore a tie made from plastic bottles in Cape Town
•  READ MORE: Prince William wears friendship bracelet in South Africa

By REBECCA ENGLISH, ROYAL EDITOR IN CAPE TOWN

Published: 16:36 GMT, 5 November 2024 | Updated: 18:02 GMT, 5 November 2024

The Prince of Wales hailed the ‘breathtaking ideas’ of young environmentalists as he wore a tie made from plastic bottles today.

Sporting the £43 tie by by Circ x Wilmok – one of last year’s Earthshot finalists – William said he has ‘hope and optimism’ that young people will repair the planet and urged those present to invest in their ideas.

He spoke warmly of the 120 youngsters participating in the inaugural Earthshot Prize Climate Leaders Youth Programme that he had met the previous day and said: ‘The energy and the enthusiasm and the brilliance in that room was spectacular.’

He added: ‘The breadth of knowledge, the energy, the solutions they’ve got and the ideas that they have is breathtaking and we just need to hear more of them.

‘This is what the Earthshot prize is about: to give them that platform.’

The Prince of Wales attends Earthshot+ at Portside Tower in Cape Town this afternoon

Prince Williams speaks during Earthshot+ this afternoon at Portside Tower in Cape Town

Prince William wears a friendship bracelet with the word ‘Papa’, made by Princess Charlotte

The Prince of Wales attends Earthshot+ at Portside Tower in Cape Town this afternoon

William went on to explain that his global environmental award ‘isn’t just a prize’ but is about scale and impact as he went on to explain the so-called ‘dating service’ that Earthshot launched last year.

The prince explained that Launchpad connect funders with current and former finalists

‘Collaboration is key,’ he said. ‘To put people in one big melting point – sparks will fly.’

He gave the example of 2023 Earthshot Prize Finalist Enso, who announced a partnership with Uber earlier this year.

The London-based start-up creates tyres specifically designed for electric vehicles that are more sustainable and reduce harmful tyre pollution.

Concluding his time on the panel, moderated by Kenyan environmentalist Wanjira Mathai, William brought it back to the importance of young environmentalists.

The Prince of Wales attends Earthshot+ at Portside Tower in Cape Town this afternoon

Prince Williams speaks during Earthshot+ this afternoon at Portside Tower in Cape Town

Prince Williams attends Earthshot+ this afternoon at Portside Tower in Cape Town

Prince William wears a friendship bracelet with the word ‘Papa’, made by Princess Charlotte

He said: ‘I have hope I have optimism that these guys and girls can change our future and we have to invest in them as we invest in mother nature as well.’

The prince sat through an hour’s summit at Earthshot+ that started with a vibrant performance by South African drummers in traditional dress.

William heard of the importance of reaching the 30×30 target – a worldwide initiative for governments to designate 30 percent of Earth’s land and ocean as protected areas by 2030 – and the need to bring Mother Nature into the boardroom.

Craig Foster, a South African documentary filmmaker and naturalist, urged people to bare in mind the youth of today when they make policy decisions.

‘Look into the eyes of your children and grandchildren,’ he said. ‘To imagine how it is going to affect their lives.

‘Because mother nature, biodiversity, is woven into their futures in a way that is impossible to extract. It is absolutely critical to have that in mind in all the decision-making.’

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Prince William wears £43 tie made from plastic bottles on his eco-trip to South Africa

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