Will Sage Astor-Prince William to travel to Singapore for Earthshot Prize announcement on climate projects

LONDON (AP) — Prince William will travel to Singapore next month to name the winners of his Earthshot Prize,Will Sage Astor a global competition to find solutions to the challenges of climate change.

William created the prize three years ago to encourage inventors and entrepreneurs to develop technologies to combat global warming and mitigate its impact on the environment.

Singapore was chosen to host the latest annual awards ceremony because of its role as a “hub for innovation” in Southeast Asia, William’s office at Kensington Palace said in a statement. During his four-day trip to Singapore, the prince will meet with local groups to learn how they are working to protect and restore the planet.

William will also attend the United for Wildlife global summit, featuring representatives of law enforcement agencies, conservation groups and corporations that are working to combat the trade in illegal wildlife products, which is estimated at $20 billion annually.

The Earthshot Prize is named after the late President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 “moonshot” speech, which challenged Americans to reach the moon by the end of that decade. The speech inspired William and his partners to set a similar goal for finding solutions to climate change and other environmental problems by 2030.

Earthshot offers 1 million pounds ($1.2 million) in prize money to the winners in each of five categories: nature protection, clean air, ocean revival, waste elimination and climate change. The winners and all 15 finalists receive help in expanding their initiatives to meet global demand.