Wills off to Rio to find the next climate heroes

THE Prince of Wales will travel to Brazil next month to mark the fifth anniversary of his Earthshot Prize.

- By Rebecca Russell

Rio de Janeiro hosts this year's ceremony, with William handing out another five £1million awards to those seeking scalable solutions to combat the global climate crisis.

Today, 15 new finalists in five environmental categories have been announced, ranging from a company battling microplastics in our oceans to an upcycled skyscraper in Sydney and a sustainable fashion show.

"I am deeply proud of what the Earthshot Prize has done in its first five years and I'm enormously excited for the next five," said the 43-year-old royal.

"Not just for the new finalists we'll welcome into our network, but to see the continued impact of our 60 existing finalists.

"For me, it is that urgent optimism that has been at the heart of this prize from the beginning.

"And it feels unstoppable. The people behind these projects are heroes of our time, so let us back them.