Prince William’s environmental
prize has named Boston the host city for its high-profile awards ceremony in
early December. This could mean a royal visit from William and Kate
Middleton is being planned—though nothing as yet has been confirmed.
Thenews announced on
Wednesday that the Earthshot Prize, which was founded by William in
2019 with the Royal Foundation, had selected the city to host the second awards
ceremony which follows the BAFTA-winning inaugural ceremony held in
London in 2021.
The city has been chosen, in
part, for its close association with former President John F. Kennedy
whose “moonshot” goal of landing man on the moon in the
1960s served as inspiration for the ambitious undertaking of the Earthshot
Prize.
The announcement was made on
the anniversary of the moon landing on July 20, 1969, with the John F. Kennedy
Library Foundation serving as a host partner for the event, alongside Boston
Mayor Michelle Wu.
Caroline Kennedy, the daughter
of JFK and Jackie Kennedy who is also the U.S. ambassador to Australia, said:
“There is no more important Moonshot today than repairing the planet and
no better place to harness the Moonshot spirit than the City of Boston. It is a
great tribute to President Kennedy that The Earthshot Prize will partner with
the JFK Library Foundation to host the 2022 ceremony in Boston and inspire a
new generation with the possibility of a sustainable future.”
As a city, Boston is
implementing important work to tackle climate change, a fact that Wu has voiced
her pride in.
“In Boston, we’re not
just aiming to improve Boston’s ability to tackle climate change—we’re setting
an example for how imaginative, community-driven climate leadership can reshape
what’s possible,” she said in a press release announcing the ceremony.
“We are honored and
excited that Boston has been selected to host the 2022 Earthshot Awards. This
is an opportunity to shine a global spotlight on our efforts to combat climate
change and demonstrate that, together, we can meet the urgency this moment
demands with innovative solutions that protect our planet and future
generations.”
It was announced last week
that after two successful years, the Earthshot Prize had separated from the
Royal Foundation to become an independent charity with Prince William appointed
president.
The appointment of
trustees caused some controversy as a former Kensington Palace staff
member, who later became CEO of the Royal Foundation, Jason Knauf, was included
among their number.
