After his meeting with the finalists, William went to a hub for developing green energy and said he was “blown away” by what he had seen.
He toured the EcoLabs Centre of Innovation for Energy, at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, viewing hi-tech schemes for environmentally-friendly energy including Autsren (ERI@N), which develops autonomous vehicles and long-lasting electric car batteries.
William was told how the autonomous vehicles are used to collect golf balls and also ferry staff around Singapore Zoo but they keep being attacked by peacocks and monkeys.
The Prince laughed and said: “That’s not something you normally think about. They never behave, those monkeys and peacocks.”
He also marvelled at a PowerCube that can store solar energy in remote locations that could power 35 small flats for a year.
But the Prince, who has a geography degree, admitted he needed to brush up on his science after staff at eco-start-up Etavolt described how they were building a circular economy for solar panels via regeneration, recycling and digitisation of performance.
Wills remarked: “It reminds me of my chemistry and physics tests. I will have to write this down when I get home.”
After an intense run-down in technology of degraded solar panels, he added: “Thanks for the brush up for my chemistry and physics.”
The labs are based in Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, which wants to become the most eco-friendly and sustainable in the world.
It is one of 22 buildings in Singapore that is totally energy self-sufficient. It has 19,000 solar panels and generates 9.5 megawatts of energy.
But the university cannot expand any further otherwise it would produce so much energy it would have to register officially as a power station, under Singapore laws.
Prince William has admitted that campaigning on the environment is “an uphill battle” at times but has spoken of his pride in his £50 million Earthshot Prize.
Ahead of tonight’s glamorous third annual awards ceremony in Singapore, the heir to the throne met the 15 finalists, from whom five winners will be chosen, and set out how the prize for environmental innovation is already making a difference to our planet.
The awards ceremony clashes with the State Opening of Parliament when the King will outline the Government’s legislative programme in a speech to Parliament that is expected to include a watering down of commitments to hit targets combatting climate change.
William, 41, avoided commenting directly on Government policies but he told some of the finalists: “Campaigning activism is really hard work sometimes. It’s an uphill battle.”
He added: “That’s the point of Earthshot – to elevate the wonderful work you’re all doing.”
The Prince outlined some of the achievements of the first two years of Earthshot finalists.
He said: “In the first year alone, we have had a positive impact on 1.5 million people. We’ve protected 1.2 billiion hectares of ocean, upcycled 35,000 tonnes of waste, 40,000 tonnes of CO2 and we’re going to do more – that’s just five finalists from the first year so I’m really excited about this year’s winners and finalists.
‘Last year we had two companies, both who’ve expanded by eight times and are moving into different countries. It’s all about scale now and my job is to really bring the money in, the capital and the private sector, into the Earthshot and meet the solutions and say – come on how can we do more.”
William, who admitted his shoulders were stiff today after competing in a dragon boat race in Marina Reservoir in Singapore yesterday, has taken on the mantle of the Royal Family’s chief environmental campaigner.
His father remains an ardent advocate of green policies and is about to mark his 75th birthday by launching a new effort to combat food waste but is slightly more restricted in what he can say publicly now he is monarch.
William, Kate and their children are right behind that. Speaking to one of the finalists, food waste campaigner Nidhi Pant of S4S Technologies in India, he enthused about her project to help women farmers sell market surplus, including misshapen vegetables.
He told her: “It’s so important. The amount of conversations we have as a family – picking up a carrot with a funny shape and asking why it can’t be sold – it’s mad.”
Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, the founder and chief executive of Enso, a London-based company that makes tyres for electric vehicles that are designed to be more sustainable and reduce pollution, asked William how he had found dragon boat racing yesterday.
Laughing, William replied: “Quite competitive, I felt it a bit in the shoulders this morning.”
Wishing all the finalists good luck again, before a final group photo, William told them: “All of you, whether you win or not, you’re now part of the Earthshot family.”
Many of Singapore’s main buildings, including the famous Raffles Hotel, were illuminated green last night to mark the Earthshot Prize coming to Singapore.
Five winners will be named at the awards ceremony on Tuesday evening. Each will get a £1 million to help them scale up their projects for wider global reach.
William will address the star-studded ceremony, to be hosted by English actor Hannah Waddingham. Wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and celebrities including Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett and actors Lana Condor and Nomzamo Mbatha are expected to attend the event.
