Prince William Launches Prestigious Environmental Prize With Help From Kate Middleton

Prince William announced the launch of The Earthshot Prize on Tuesday. To learn more about the initiative, and how Kate Middleton helped with the announcement, click here

Prince William is kicking off the new year in a big way.

The Duke of Cambridge announced the launch of The Earthshot Prize on Tuesday. 

Described as the "most prestigious environment prize in history," The Earthshot Prize proposes an "ambitious set of challenges" to inspire people to develop new initiatives and innovations that could help save the planet. Climate and energy, nature and biodiversity, oceans, air pollution and fresh water are just a few of the challenges the project aims to tackle.

"The challenges will be a chance for everyone's voice to be heard, we want to motivate and inspire a new generation of thinkers, leaders and dreamers," The Earthshot Prize's website reads. "Our prizes will reward progress across all sectors of industry and society, not just technology. The prizes could be awarded to a wide range of individuals, teams or collaborations—scientists, activists, economists, leaders, governments, banks, businesses, cities, and countries—anyone who is making a substantial development or outstanding contribution to solving our environmental challenges."

The goal is to provide at least 50 solutions to the planet's problems by 2030.  A "prestigious prize" will be awarded to five winners each year over the course of 10 years, and these prizes will be given out at annual awards ceremonies, which will take place in different cities around the world between 2021 and 2030. 

The Eartshot Prize is inspired by the concept of "moonshots," which have become shorthand ways of discussing ground-breaking goals ever since the moon landing in 1969.

A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

William shared the big news via the Cambridges' official Instagram account. In addition to posting a clip of a film narrated by Sir David Attenborough, William shared a photo taken by Kate Middleton at a glacier in the Hindu Kush mountain range during their royal tour of Pakistan.

"The earth is at a tipping point and we face a stark choice: either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet or we remember our unique power as human beings and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve," part of a post on the royal's Instagram account reads. "Remember the awe inspiring civilizations that we have built, the life-saving technology we have created, the fact that we have put a man on the moon. People can achieve great things. And the next ten years present us with one of our greatest tests—a decade of action to repair the Earth."