Prince William warns world is 'not moving fast enough' on climate as Earthshot Prize names its 15 finalists

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

Prince William has issued an urgent call for businesses, investors and leaders to accelerate environmental action, saying progress on the planet's biggest challenges remains too slow. The warning came as his Earthshot Prize unveiled its 15 finalists for 2026, selected from close to 7,000 nominations submitted across 169 countries. Winners in five categories will each receive £1 million at a ceremony in Mumbai on 17 November.

Finalists include the entire city of Barcelona for coastal climate adaptation, Bhutan — the Himalayan kingdom — and an Argentine AI platform that detects wildfires before they take hold.

Australia's Indigenous Desert Alliance — a network of 70 ranger groups managing 145 million hectares, four times the size of Germany — is among the nominees, with its CEO saying she is 'slightly nervous, but really excited'.

Bollywood director Karan Johar will host the Mumbai ceremony, with the Prize Council including Queen Rania of Jordan, Cate Blanchett and Gisele Bündchen.