Prince William's visibility in recent weeks focused on his advocacy for the environment but his latest actions and comments sparked a debate on television between a journalist and the Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change.
The Duke of Cambridge partnered with Sir David Attenborough in re-affirming his Earthshot Prize initiative. Over the course of five years, Prince William plans to award over $65 million (£50 million) to 10 individuals or groups who could come up with the best solutions for the Earth.
In his appearance on Sky News, the Honorable John Gummer, Lord Deben, of the Climate Change committee said he supported the royal's initiative. But, journalist and host Isabel Webster said that if Prince Harry did the same thing as his older brother, he likely won't get the same praises.
Prince William's actions on this pressing issue might be seen as a political intervention since the issue on climate change also involves governance policies, rules and guidelines. In the last week, Harry received immense criticisms for his own political intervention, when he talked about how fake news and online hate on the internet could impact the outcome of the U.S. elections.
Lord Deben, however, disagreed with Webster's comments that William isn't getting criticisms for intervening unlike Harry. He said that the comparison between William and Harry is "quite unnecessary" and then defended Prince William by saying that the royal is doing exactly what is expected of someone who is a significant part of the monarchy.
The Climate Change chief said that every nation in the world signed the Paris Agreement, which is a commitment to reversing the damage in the environment. Lord Deben said that William is giving royal support to this agreement by finding solutions that could change the course of the whole world.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Barack Obama hailed Prince William for the Earthshot Prize. He commended the Duke of Cambridge for leading the charge in trying to make a "real difference" in the lives of the future generations.
The Duke of Cambridge said that he's aware many people are willing to do good things for the Earth and the prize he's offering is a "catalyst." Experts said that humans have 10 years left to fix the Earth's problems and Prince William believes an urgent matter like this needs some optimism that will create action.
The future King of England hopes that humans will be able to make "huge strides" in fighting Climate Change by 2030.
