Prince William believes that major corporations are failing to demonstrate sufficient bravery in addressing environmental challenges, sources have claimed.
During his five-day visit for the Earthshot Prize ceremony and Cop30 climate summit, the Prince of Wales is thought to have expressed profound disappointment with private industry's lukewarm response to the climate emergency.
The prince urged the corporate world to "step up to the plate", highlighting widespread hesitancy among businesses to engage meaningfully with environmental initiatives.
His frustration stems from observing that numerous companies remain unwilling to participate actively in climate solutions.
Prince William believes major companies ‘not doing nearly enough’ on climate
|GETTY
As a committed environmentalist following his father's example, William shared these concerns during high-level meetings with the Prime Minister.
He also discussed the matter with President Lula and Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, whilst in Brazil last week.
A royal source claimed that William voiced his worries about insufficient corporate support for climate action during his Brazilian meetings with Sir Keir Starmer and the energy secretary.
“He believes that major companies are still not doing nearly enough. He wants to see bold leadership in the private sector and, honestly, many businesses are still reluctant to get involved. Even when some are making genuine progress, they’re rarely talking about it,” the source told the Times.
Sir Keir Starmer, President Lula and Prince William exchanging an awkward three-way handshake
| PASpeaking to young environmental campaigners in Rio who receive Earthshot support, the 43-year-old prince questioned the absence of chief executives willing to lead on sustainability.
He warned that business leaders appeared to be hesitating, waiting for others to make substantial green investments first.
During an engagement in Rio last week, William said: "We need a bit more courage in the system. Where are the CEOs taking the lead with this?
"There is a nervousness. We have to get the confidence, we have to get the passion. Without that, we're all wobbling around a little bit."
Despite the overall corporate reluctance, William acknowledged several firms demonstrating genuine commitment.
Prince William pictured greeting fans in Brazil | PAIkea, Uber and Compass Group received particular praise for their investments in Earthshot Prize finalists. Matter, a British finalist developing washing-machine filters that capture microplastics, recently secured a multi-million-pound agreement with Ikea for global expansion.
The company's founder, Adam Root from Saffron Walden, initially created the £199 device at his mother-in-law's Essex dining table in 2017, supported by a £250 Prince's Trust grant.
William revealed plans to install these filters throughout royal household washing machines.
Meanwhile, Uber has partnered with another 2024 finalist, Enso, to deploy their low-emission, energy-efficient tyres across Britain and America, supporting Uber's commitment to zero-emission vehicles by 2040.
The prince intends to bring the Earthshot Prize to India next year, demonstrating his commitment to engaging the world's major polluting nations.
Global stars like Shawn Mendes and Kylie Minogue helped draw attention to the Earthshot Awards
| REUTERSWith over 1.4 billion inhabitants, India ranks as the third-largest global emitter after China and America, contributing approximately 8 per cent of worldwide carbon emissions.
The country relies heavily on coal for power generation but has committed to halving emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2070.
Neither India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor China's President Xi attended last week's Cop30 leaders' summit.
A royal source explained that the initiative aims to include all regions globally, noting the prince's enthusiasm for India's environmental innovations.
William reportedly hopes to bring the prize to China within five years, believing major polluters cannot be excluded from climate solutions.