Sharjah24 – AFP: Queen Elizabeth II's grandson Prince William will bestow his inaugural "Earthshot" environmental prize at a gala ceremony on Sunday, after a buildup marked by royal displeasure at world leaders' inaction on climate change.

At the televised event -- featuring the renowned naturalist David Attenborough and performances by Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and others -- five international winners will each receive £1 million ($1.4 million, 1.2 million euros).

William hopes the event will help propel the fight against climate change leading up to the COP26 summit in Scotland, calling those on the shortlist "innovators, leaders and visionaries".
"We can't have more clever speak, clever words but not enough action (at COP26) and that's why the Earthshot Prize is so important, because we're trying to create action," he told the BBC.

"I'm hoping the prize will galvanise a lot of people in positions of responsibility to go further, bigger and actually start to deliver."

Those nominated include an Indian teenager who has designed a solar-powered ironing cart, and Costa Rica, which is pioneering a project to pay people to restore natural ecosystems.

A food waste hub in Milan, Italy, a coral replacement scheme in the Bahamas, and a clean-air app from China are also on the shortlist.

Each of the finalists -- chosen by experts from more than 750 nominations -- will be given help from companies to develop their projects.

William also used his BBC interview to take a potshot at wealthy space tourists, for neglecting problems closer to Earth, while his father and grandmother have also weighed in this week on climate change.

Opening the Welsh legislature in Cardiff on Thursday, the 95-year-old monarch was overheard upbraiding world leaders who "talk" but "don't do" enough about the planetary crisis.

The queen complained that not enough leaders had confirmed their attendance at COP26, with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among the key players in doubt.