Prince William puts climate at the center of his visit to South Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — British Prince William will meet young environmentalists and local fishermen during a visit to South Africa that began on Monday, focusing on climate change and conservation. He will also see its annual Earthshot Prize award $1.2 million in grants to five organizations for innovative environmental ideas.

The 42-year-old heir to the throne will also attend the global wildlife summit and spend time at the Sea Rescue Institute during four days of events in Cape Town, with the centerpiece of his trip being the Earthshot awards ceremony on Wednesday evening.

He will use the visit to highlight other issues close to his heart, such as the work of rangers on the front lines of conservation efforts, officials said.

The visit comes as the finances of William and his father, King Charles III, come under scrutiny following an investigation by The Sunday Times and British television Channel 4. The investigation revealed that their private estates made millions of pounds by renting out properties in rentals to government organizations including the armed forces, NHS and public schools.

The two estates, the Royal Duchy of Lancaster and the Princely Duchy of Cornwall, own portfolios of commercial, residential and agricultural properties that provide personal income to members of the royal family.

The Duchy of Lancaster responded that while the King has an interest in the estate, day-to-day operations are controlled by an independent board and managers. The Duchy of Cornwall said the estate operates for a commercial purpose “alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and creating a positive social impact for our communities.”

William, Prince of Wales, last visited Africa in 2018, but has a strong connection to the continent. William traveled to Africa as a boy after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a car accident in Paris in 1997. He and his wife Kate got engaged at a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya in 2010. And he said he came up with the idea for the Earthshot Awards while in Namibia in 2018.

“Africa has always held a special place in my heart: it’s where I found solace as a teenager, where I proposed to my wife and, most recently, where it inspired the Earthshot Prize,” William said in a statement ahead of his visit. .

Kate, Princess of Walesand their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are not traveling to South Africa. Kate, 42, most recently returned to some public duties after completing treatment for an undiagnosed type of cancer.

William’s visit came shortly after his brother Harry, Duke of Sussex, visited South Africa. and neighboring Lesotho last month for a youth charity he founded in southern Africa with a member of the Lesotho royal family.

William formed the Earthshot Prize through his Royal Foundation in 2020. encourage new ideas to solve environmental problems; it started in 2021. The first three award ceremonies took place in the UK and USA. and Singapore.

William said he wanted this year’s awards to inspire young people involved in the fight against climate change in Africa, a continent of about 1.5 billion people that contributes the least to global warming but is particularly vulnerable to climate shocks.

The wider southern African region is currently experiencing the most severe drought and famine crisis in decadesAccording to the UN, 27 million people were seriously affected.

The Earthshot Awards are awarded in five categories: protecting and restoring nature, clean air, reviving the oceans, building a zero-waste world and climate change. This year’s finalists include a company in Kenya that develops solar-powered systems for homes, a group in Ecuador that unites indigenous communities to protect forests, and a conservation project in Kazakhstan that is saving an endangered antelope from extinction. saiga.

The awards ceremony will take place in a temporary reusable dome erected on a field next to the sports stadium in Cape Town. The 470-foot-long dome has hosted other events in South Africa and will be dismantled for reuse after the Earthshot prizes are awarded, organizers said.

While climate change and environmental threats are at the center of William’s visit, he will briefly take a break from those topics to attend a secondary school in a disadvantaged area of ​​Cape Town, where he is expected to join children at rugby practice.

Rugby is one of the most popular sports in South Africa and the country’s national team, the Springboks, current world champions. William is also a rugby fan.

“I can promise you that you will see the Prince of Wales play rugby,” a Kensington Palace spokesman said of the planned visit to the school.

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Associated Press writer Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

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