‘Hopeful’ Prince William tells Cate Blanchett he’s ‘a stubborn optimist’ about climate crisis

Prince William described himself as a 'stubborn optimist' during his recent appearance on Cate Blanchett's new podcast, Climate of Change. 

• Prince William has described himself as a 'stubborn optimist' on the issue of the climate crisis, insisting that 'huge strides' can be made to repair environmental damage. 
• The Duke of Cambridge appeared on Cate Blancett's new podcast, Climate of Change, on Wednesday, to discuss his The Earthshot Prize and his hopes for the planet's future. 
• In other royal news, the luxury menu served to the Queen's corgis revealed by royal chef.
  

The Duke of Cambridge sat down with Cate Blanchett on Wednesday for an honest conversation about protecting our environment, an issue he has championed passionately over the past few years. 

Talking on the Australian actor's new podcast series for Audible, Climate of Change, Prince William shared his thoughts on the climate crisis and detailed his plans for next year's Earthshot Prize. The annual competition, launched by the Duke in 2020, awards five one million pound prizes to those who submit the best solutions for combating the climate emergency. 

Last year, its winners included an Indian company that developed technology to convert crop waste into sellable products and Coral Vita, a farm-based in Grand Bahama which grows coral on land rather than in the sea. 

Prince William has now revealed that for his 2022 nominees, he's looking for more ideas from women and indigenous communities. 

The future King also spoke about his faith in the possibility of real progress, quoting the term 'stubborn optimist', coined by the chair of Earthshot's board of trustees, Christiana Figueres, to describe his current position. 

"She's given me a lot of hope that this can happen and I believe it, and I'm seeing it with my own eyes," the 39-year-old told Cate. "It's really inspiring, it's really hopeful. And I do believe we can make huge strides." 

Prince William also spoke fondly about his the late Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles, crediting both men for helping him to understand the importance of protecting our environment. 

"I think my grandfather, my father, both kind of having a deep passion and interest in this area for many years, has sort of piqued my interest and my curiosity," he said. 

"So growing up, I was surrounded by kind of this adventure and this idea of exploring and being out in the garden. I used to spend hours climbing trees, digging ditches and all sorts of things—hiding in dens and all sorts around the garden. So I used to love being out in the sort of wild and the wet." 

Prince William and Kate Middleton are confirmed to visit the US later this year to launch the 2022 Award for Earthshot, marking their first joint trip to the country since 2014. It's expected they'll reunite with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their stay, but it remains unknown whether or not they'll be hosted at the couple's £14 million Santa Barbara mansion.