Prince William is back in New York.
The Prince of Wales was out in the city Monday after flying into New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport. He is in town for today’s Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit. William launched the environmental prize in 2020 with David Attenborough.
“It’s so good to be back in the United States. No one does optimism and ingenuity like the American people, so it’s only right we unveil this year’s Earthshot finalists in New York City,” he said upon arrival, per Kensington Palace. “80 years ago, the world came together in this great city to find a new way, through the UN, to solve our shared challenges. I know our generation can take the bold action we need to make changes towards a healthy and sustainable world. The challenge may feel huge, but as John F. Kennedy taught us, we rise to the challenge not because it is easy, but because it is hard. And vital.”
William quickly got to work for his first engagement of the day. He headed to Governors Island to meet with staff from the Billion Oyster Project, which is working to restore oyster reefs in the city’s harbor.
Oyster reefs are key to healthy environments and ecosystems, as they provide habitats for other organisms, protect communities from storm damage, reduce flooding, and prevent shoreline erosion. Thus far, the Billion Oyster Project has restored 75 million live oysters.
During his visit, William put on chest waders and a baseball cap over his formal attire to join students retrieving oysters from the East River.
Later in the day, William headed to the United Nations headquarters, where he met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. For the occasion, he wore a black suit with a white button-up, a maroon polka-dot tie, and black dress shoes.
During their meeting, the royal discussed his objectives with the Earthshot Prize, which annually rewards innovators for their contributions to environmentalism. William and Guterres also talked about their shared hope for COP28, a climate change conference in November, to find a way to reduce global emissions.
