00:06Good evening and hello to everyone joining us live across Africa.
00:12Sanibonani, Dumelang, Ekabo, Sanu, Akwaba.
00:25We are delighted to have you with us for the 4th Annual Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony
00:30from the beautiful city of Cape Town.
00:35As with every trip to Africa, I have received the most warm and generous welcome over the last few days.
00:41When I founded the Earthshot Prize in 2020, my ambition was to champion the spirit of ingenuity
00:48that put a man on the moon within 10 years.
00:50Our aim was to find solutions to repair our planet and provide real hope for the future.
00:59We want to make this the decade in which we transform the world for good, one solution at a time
01:06from the ground up.
01:08It was an idea that first came to me on African soil.
01:12During a trip to Namibia and Tanzania, I was lucky enough to see some of the stunning wildlife that caused
01:18this continent home.
01:19But what really struck me was the incredible impact local people were having on the environment around them.
01:28Thanks to their ingenuity and creativity, biodiversity was returning, animals were being protected and jobs were being created.
01:37I saw firsthand the extent to which people were dedicating their time, talent and vision to fixing environmental challenges.
01:48But they weren't getting the support they needed to speed their solutions to scale or to have them replicated worldwide.
01:56However, I believe our world can be rich in possibility, in hope and optimism.
02:03That is why the Earthshot Prize exists.
02:06To champion the game changers, the inventors, the makers, the creatives, the leaders.
02:14To help them build upon the amazing things they have already achieved.
02:18To speed their innovations to scale.
02:21And to inspire the next generation to create the future we all need.
02:26The sense of optimism I first witnessed on that trip to Namibia planted a seed that brought us here today.
02:34So I am delighted to see the Earthshot Prize return to the continent where it all started.
02:47The continent that despite contributing the least to global warming is amongst the most vulnerable to its impact.
02:56Since we began we have received over 5,000 nominations.
03:00Each of those solutions tell a story of hope and possibility.
03:04In 2024 alone, nearly 400 were conceived here in Africa.
03:11Each of those solutions should be seen as a reminder that Africa is a hub of creativity and innovation.
03:18That will solve our planet's toughest environmental challenges.
03:29To that end, the Earthshot Prize isn't just a celebration of winners.
03:34It's a collaborative movement for change.
03:37And I now invite you to join the movement for climate innovation that's happening around the world.
03:44Because that's why we're here.
03:46To champion the dreamers, the thinkers and the innovators.
03:51From every walk of life who share an ambition to build a better, more sustainable world.
03:57We'll do everything we can to support them and help speed their solutions to scale.
04:02Because when they succeed, we all succeed.
04:06When they thrive, we all thrive.
04:09And when they win, we all win.
Comments