AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah called on the global
community to recognize the pressing need for a united and resilient front in
the face of environmental crises, pinning hopes on bold initiatives, human
ingenuity, and concerted action to repair our planet, according to a statement
from Her Majesty’s office.
اضافة اعلان
Queen
Rania made these remarks in a pre-recorded video message that was broadcast at
the first-ever Earthshot Innovation Showcase at Expo 2020 Dubai on
Thursday. The event, attended by HRH Prince William, the Duke of
Cambridge, was hosted at the UAE multinational DP World Pavilion in the
presence of its Group Chairman and CEO, His Excellency Sultan Ahmed Bin
Sulayem.
Queen
Rania is a member of the Earthshot Prize Council, which awards the global
environmental prize to five winners each year. Addressing a group of top
environmental innovators and influential business leaders from across the
world, the Queen warned that “our shared environment” is buckling under the
weight of the climate crisis, especially as the threat of rising temperatures
and shrinking water supplies in the Middle East and beyond cannot be
overstated.
“When
it comes to the environment, every region is under threat,” Her Majesty said,
adding that “human ingenuity is the ultimate renewable resource. And the fuel
we need to save our planet rests in our own heads, hearts, and hands.”
The
event showcased five innovative solutions from the 2021 Earthshot Prize
finalists, who pitched their projects and initiatives to the audience in an
exploration of scale-up opportunities. The finalists represented three of the
five Earthshot Prize categories: Revive our Oceans, Fix our Climate, and Build
a Waste-free World.
In
her remarks, the Queen contended that not all hope is lost, because “the future
is these finalists — and so many like them around the world.”
Sharing
Her Majesty’s sentiment, Prince William, a longtime stalwart of environmental
justice and the founder of The Earthshot Prize, stated in his opening remarks
that “We have reason to hope, our future is not yet set, and while the task
ahead is great, we still have the ability to repair our planet, and create a
better world. The Earthshot mission is more than just a prize. It’s a global
team effort to spark urgent optimism and game-changing innovation to transform
our future."
Queen
Rania also addressed the many possibilities that come with a culture that
rewards green innovation and climate action, as it had with these finalists,
whose groundbreaking solutions range from “farming coral on land” and
“providing grid-free electricity” to “bringing concrete seawalls to life” and
“harnessing and selling the sun.”
“But,
exciting as these bold initiatives are, we’re all in a race against time,” Her
Majesty said, pointing to other challenges that have yet to be overcome. She
noted that a survey representing half the world’s population found that
two-thirds of people recognize the urgency and enormity of climate change.
In
a call for unity, the Queen also underscored the importance of helping global
actors realize that “problems that seem overwhelming are actually manageable,”
and that the planet can ultimately heal.
“Every
sector has a role to play—public, private, philanthropic,” Her Majesty said.
“And the bottom line could not be clearer: If we work together, everybody
wins.”
Founded
in 2020 by Prince William and The Royal Foundation, The Earthshot Prize is a
global environmental prize and platform to discover, accelerate, and scale
groundbreaking eco-innovations to repair and regenerate the planet. The annual
Prize aims to catalyze an Earthshot challenge to urgently encourage and scale
environmental innovations that can help put the world firmly on a trajectory
towards a stable climate, where communities, oceans, and biodiversity thrive in
harmony by 2030.
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