Prince William calls Earthshot winners 'the world's true action heroes'

Prince William announced the winners of the fifth annual Earthshot Prize at the ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.

The Prince of Wales opened his speech with a warm greeting in Portuguese and thanked the people of Brazil for their hospitality.

The future King reflected on launching the prize in 2020 with a goal to make the decade one of positive change for the planet.

Highlighting the winners’ hard work and innovative ideas, he said their efforts show that real progress is possible and called them “the world’s true action heroes.”

“Good evening and welcome," William began his speech. "We are delighted to have you with us for the fifth annual Earthshot Prize Award Ceremony from the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro."

"I'd like to start by saying thank you for the incredibly warm welcome I've received this week," Kate Middleton's husband continued.

“When I founded The Earthshot Prize in 2020, we had a ten year goal to make this the decade in which we transformed our world for the better. It was a mission driven by the kind of extraordinary optimism we felt here tonight from these innovators,” he added.

“Their work is the proof we need that progress is possible," he said. "Their stories are the inspiration that gives us courage, and there’s a great deal we can learn from their determination and their vision for scale, as well as their unyielding belief that we can create a better world."

"It’s no exaggeration to say that they are the world’s true action heroes.”