Prince William has reportedly hit out at big businesses for “falling short” in attempts to tackle climate change.
The Prince of Wales expressed his deep frustration with the failures of large corporations to take environmental concerns seriously enough, accusing them of lacking “courage” in their climate policies.
He has spent the past week in Brazil for the Earthshot prize awards before the Cop30 climate conference, where he met with UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
“[William] believes that major companies are still not doing nearly enough,” a royal source told The Times. “He wants to see bold leadership in the private sector and, honestly, many businesses are still reluctant to get involved. Even when some are making genuine progress, they’re rarely talking about it.”
The source said the Prince of Wales had “raised his concern about the lack of meaningful support” from international corporations during a meeting with Sir Keir.
William has dedicated much of his energy to campaigning on climate issues, following in the footsteps of King Charles, who put climate front and centre of his personal agenda while he was a prince.
Despite noting some positives, including initiatives from companies such as Ikea and Uber, the source said the prince believes that “far too many others are still falling short and it’s time for more of them to step up to the plate”.
During a meeting with young activists in Rio, William said we need “a bit more courage in the system” and challenged the CEOs who are failing to take a lead in environmental policy.
He said: “Where are the CEOs taking the lead with this? There is a nervousness. We have to get the confidence, we have to get the passion. Without that, we’re all wobbling around a little bit.”
William has held climate talks with President Lula and UK energy secretary Ed Miliband. He hosted the Earthshot prize awards in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday before travelling to Belem, a city in the Amazon rainforest, for the Cop30 summit.
At the awards, a global environmental prize headed by William which is awarded to five winners for contributions towards environmentalism, he shared the stage with four Brazilian youngsters who made declarations for a world they wanted to see – from one where “we can all breathe clean air” to a future where “rivers run clear, and wildlife thrives”.
Mission: Impossible star Tom Cruise, who described William as his “dear friend”, congratulated the winners and finalists, thanking them for “reminding us what’s possible when commitment meets purpose” in a video message.
Pop star Kylie Minogue was one of a host of stars alongside Canadian musician Shawn Mendes and Brazilian legend Gilberto Gil, who performed at the awards ceremony.
On Thursday, the prince gave a speech at the Cop30 UN Climate Change summit, where he told delegates: “Where Indigenous people and local communities have secured land rights, deforestation is lower, biodiversity is richer, and carbon is better stored.
“Let us build a future where Indigenous people and local communities are recognised as global climate leaders — where their rights are protected, their voices heard, and their knowledge respected as vital to the health of our planet.”
William afterwards met Indigenous peoples to hear about the role they play in protecting critical ecosystems.
Tenure Facility, an indigenous organisation which aims to help indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local communities secure ancestral land rights and protect critical natural ecosystems, was a finalist in the Earthshot awards.
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