From BBC
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The Prince of Wales has warned against “doom and gloom” in discussions about tackling climate change.
He was speaking in New York as the finalists were announced for his flagship environmental project, the Earthshot Prize.
The prince said a dose of realism was important, but it was also necessary to give people a sense of hope.
Bill Gates, UN climate envoy Mike Bloomberg and former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern were among the guests.
“I think if we remark on how pessimistic and doom and gloom everything is, even though there is a healthy dose of that needed… it doesn’t provoke the reaction from us humans that we would like,” Prince William told the event in New York.
“An important part of the prize’s design and development is not just to provide the solutions, but it’s to make people believe there is hope.”
He added that he was “impatient” to see a more rapid scaling up of new approaches to reducing environmental harm.
Prince William’s New York visit this week has seen him stepping up on a global stage, including a meeting with UN secretary general Antonio Guterres.
But there have been comments on social media expressing cynicism about VIPs and celebrities flying so many miles to talk about decarbonisation and tackling climate change.
The Earthshot event has been held alongside New York’s Climate Week and the United Nations has been staging its annual general assembly, including a keynote speech from US President Joe Biden.
The prince
