The Earthshot Prize

Your Royal Highnesses, Excellencies, honored guests, and our 15 incredible Earthshot finalists joining us from across five continents, welcome to the MGM Music Hall and to the city of Boston. (crowd applauds) We are so glad you're with us because we needed you to be here today. If you close your eyes and think about Planet Earth, what do you see? For me, it's a kindergartner's leafy view perched up high in my backyard tree. There are three trillion trees on the planet, but this one was special. In a world where my immigrant family stuck out in different ways, syllables heavy on our tongues, foods my classmates pinched their noses at, that deep green sanctuary was a joyful connection to nature, a witness to my childhood, and a place that reassured me this world is also yours. There are eight billion people alive today, each of us with a deep connection to our own piece of this earth, a special tree, a sandy beach, mountain path, or grassy field. But as our population has swelled, so has our impact on the planet. As we farm bigger, consume more, produce faster, our convenience comes at great cost. Forests cleared, oceans polluted, temperatures rising. It can all feel so daunting. But what Boston knows is that the odds are only overwhelming until you overcome them. When President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation 60 years ago, he named the moment an hour of change and challenge and promised that we'd reach the moon in the next decade. It was a transformative push that redefined what was possible for humankind. The moonshot was a chance to make history. Earthshot is our opportunity and obligation to ensure our future. Tonight, we honor the leaders and innovators helping us turn this moment of challenge and change into one of power and possibility. In addition to fantastic musical artists, we'll be hearing from scientists and farmers, engineers and conservationists, all united in their heroic work to restore our planet and preserve our future. It's a mission we share here in Boston where we are building climate action into everything we do, from electrifying our homes and vehicles, redesigning parks and streets, training young people for green jobs, transitioning to 100% renewable energy, and planting more special trees. Thank you and congratulations to all the innovators, activists, and climate champions here tonight. Together, we will make sure that our planet and future continue to be a source of joy and refuge for all of us. Now I'm thrilled to invite our talented hosts back to the stage, Clara Amfo and Daniel Dae Kim. (crowd applauds) (inspirational music)