Prince William Is ‘Coalition Builder’ For Green Ideas

Prince William has emerged as a “coalition builder,” uniting fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to address global environmental challenges in the lead-up to his Earthshot Prize ceremony on Nov. 6.

This view is shared by several of the 15 Earthshot Prize finalists, who have been immersed in workshops on social enterprise, branding, and finance to help them scale their groundbreaking projects.

On Wednesday in Cape Town, South Africa, five of these finalists will be awarded a $1.3 million prize each at a star-studded event, described by William’s team as his “Super Bowl moment.”

Throughout Earthshot Prize Week, all finalists have participated in the Earthshot Fellowship, gaining insights, sharing best practices, and forging connections to enhance their impact.

“We know that the idea from prototype to scale is a challenging leadership journey, and we are here to unlock support where we can,” Hannah Jones, CEO of Earthshot Prize, told reporters on Nov. 3.

“This cohort is passionate about driving transformative change in climate action and sustainability,” she added.

Among the Earthshot Prize finalists is Natural Fiber Welding, an Illinois-based company pioneering plant-based, plastic-free materials used in everything from sneakers and polo shirts to bags.

Mary Allen, Creative Director of Natural Fiber Welding, showcased a shoe from Purified, a London-based slow-fashion brand that uses NFW’s innovative alternative leather, Mirum, in its upper design.

“At the end of its useful life, it can be ground up and safely returned to the ground,” she says.

“We’ve partnered with 50 brands to date,” she says, noting collaborations with Camper footwear and Ralph Lauren, which incorporates their textiles into select polo shirts. NFW is also working with BMW to integrate Mirum into automotive interiors.

“Earthshot is filling a desperately needed gap in terms of giving visibility to game-changing solutions from all over the world, in all different sectors,” she says of Prince William’s initiative. “Every founder’s story here is different. By bringing us together, it gives us an opportunity to learn and grow together and cross-pollinate. It’s hard to measure the impact of that, but it’s invaluable. This has been one of the most transformative weeks of my career in sustainability.”

In addition to Mirum, the company makes a material called Tunera — a bio-based plastic-free foam, and Clarus for textiles.

“The unifying philosophy is what we call ‘our ground rules,’ she says. “Start well, stay clean and end well, which means start with plants, make non-toxic materials, and ensure they can return to the earth. Waste is a human invention and in nature, there is no waste.”

“Earthshot is really a connector here from the solutions to some of the most influential companies in the world,” she adds.

“The magic is coalition building. That’s what this week is about,” she says.

Ninna Granucci, co-founder of another Earthshot Prize finalist, Ferment’Up, tells PEOPLE: “It is brilliant how [William] is using all the attention he can get to focus on the problems that we need to solve and the solutions we can use to do that. I am very grateful to him for bringing so diverse people together with the same goal of finding solutions for our climate.”

Ferment’Up provides a solution for alternative ingredients that are “more sustainable and more nutritious and a cost reduction for the food industry.” The company uses grains from breweries, tomato skins, and apple peel powders that can be alternatives to cocoa or tomato concentrate.

Granucci, whose company is based in Toulouse, France, adds, “From one side we are avoiding waste by using the most nutritious side of grains and seeds, and we are keeping food as food. From the other side these ingredients can help produce a finished product like cookies or chocolate coverings for biscuits or a natural flavor for tomato sauce.”

“Besides the very personal point of meeting amazing people and seeing all the solutions that inspire you despite the difficulties, we are seeing how to solve problems. Everyone is trying to see what can work for me or my company. The opportunity to speak to people to give you the push that you need or put you in contact with someone who would make a big difference. It is about creating opportunities to push the idea and solution further forward,” she adds.

Kelly Adams, CEO of Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems, which has developed a technology to capture waste heat and convert it into electricity, says,  “We’re the first company to design it at this scale. The captured electricity will be used on-site for future power. It cuts down the electrical power a plant will be using too. It’s a paradigm shift for the industry.”

He commends William’s ability to bring people together and amplify a message that resonates globally.

“This is an amazing opportunity for us. We are trying to get out to society and show what’s possible. When you’re at the forefront of innovation, that can take a long time,” he says.

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

“We don’t have years for this, so this week is a big accelerator for all of us. Earthshot has a global reach and it’s accelerating the education of society and the decision makers and policymakers,” he adds. “So, what we used to do in months and years we’re now doing in days and weeks because of the way he pulls at the network and gets people looking at the issue and understanding what the problems are and that there are solutions out there.

“So many people say it is impossible or it can’t happen, but it actually can.”