Prince William and Princess Kate Highlight Earthshot Prize Finalist While Prince Harry Attends WellChild Awards
The Prince of Wales's environmental initiative recognizes Ørsted for its transition to offshore wind, as his brother attends a charity event in London.
Prince William and Princess Kate have spotlighted Ørsted, a Danish energy company, as a finalist for the 2026 Earthshot Prize. The company has been recognized for its significant transformation from one of Europe's most coal-intensive utilities into the world's largest offshore wind operator.
Ørsted is a finalist in the Fix Our Climate category, having reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by over 98 percent and shifted its operations away from coal, oil, and gas towards renewable energy sources. The Prince and Princess of Wales shared the company's story on their official Instagram account, emphasizing its role in the global transition to clean energy.
The Earthshot Prize, founded by Prince William, aims to identify and support innovative solutions to pressing environmental challenges. Ørsted's transformation is considered particularly noteworthy because it fundamentally changed its business model, rather than merely supplementing existing fossil-fuel operations with renewables. The company has continued to invest and generate revenue during this transition, while also engaging with governments, retraining workers, and creating apprenticeships.
In Britain, Ørsted operates 12 offshore wind farms that generate more than seven percent of the country's electricity, powering nearly six million homes. Globally, the company has installed over 10GW of offshore wind capacity, with an additional 8.1GW under construction across Europe, the United States, and Taiwan. Notable UK projects include Hornsea 2, which was once the world's largest operational offshore wind farm, and Hornsea 3, currently under construction and slated to become the world's largest upon completion in 2030.
The 2026 finalists were announced on Friday, with Ørsted among three contenders for the Fix Our Climate prize. Other finalists are working on conservation, waste reduction, clean air, and ocean protection. The five winners will be announced at the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Mumbai on November 17, with each receiving £1 million to scale their initiatives. The prize was established in 2020 and focuses on five key environmental areas: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate. This year's finalists were chosen from nearly 7,000 nominations across 169 countries.
Concurrently, Prince Harry attended the WellChild Awards in London, marking his continued association with the children's charity, of which he has been patron since 2007. He arrived without his wife, Meghan Markle, for the event held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel. Prince Harry was scheduled to present an award and deliver a speech at the ceremony, which honors seriously ill children and their caregivers. He has attended 15 WellChild ceremonies since becoming patron. In a statement released before the event, Prince Harry expressed his privilege in participating and meeting the individuals whose courage inspires him, noting the special significance of this year's celebration of the 20th anniversary of the WellChild Nurse program.