Annual review 2006 - The Prince of Wales

THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
The Prince of Wales has shown a strong personal interest
in environmental issues for decades. The main themes
to which he most often returns are the need for sustainable
development, for responsible stewardship of our natural
resources and for global co-operation to protect our
environmental heritage.
ABOVE
Prince Charles with Dame Ellen
MacArthur at an RSPB Dinner
in support of the ‘Save the
Albatross’ campaign.
The Worldwide Fund for
Nature felt that The Prince
of Wales stood out as an
exceptional winner of the
Awareness Award due to
his determination not only
to highlight the issues
threatening the environment
but to propose possible
solutions, and act as a
catalyst for change.
The need for global co-operation is perhaps greatest when tackling climate
change, and in May 2005 His Royal Highness lent his backing to a call by
UK corporate leaders for greater co-operation between big business and
the government in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
His Royal Highness returned to the theme of climate change in October 2005
when he gave an interview to the BBC. In the interview, The Prince said that
climate change was the “greatest challenge to face man”, and explained that
he felt compelled to voice his concerns publicly because he did not want his
future grandchildren to ask why he had not acted over the issue.
A few weeks after the interview, The Prince said in a speech to businessmen
and environmentalists in San Francisco that America must lead the way
in tackling climate change. Speaking at a conference organised by his
Business and the Environment Programme, he said: “The environmental
crisis we face is another situation in which I believe the United States
could use its power and its infl uence to help create a sense of unity
in a common cause among disparate peoples and sectors of society.”
The role played by businesses in tackling environmental problems was also
the theme of a speech His Royal Highness gave in May 2005 to the Institute
of Chartered Accountants. Launching a new report from his Accounting for
Sustainability Group, The Prince said organisations in both the public and
private sector could make a difference to the environment if better accounting
procedures that focused on sustainability were developed and adopted.
The Prince’s long track record of raising awareness of environmental matters
received recognition in March 2006 when he was given the Awareness Award
at the annual British Environment and Media Awards organised by the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF). Robert Napier, President of WWF, who presented the
award, said of His Royal Highness: “WWF felt that The Prince of Wales stood
out as an exceptional winner of this award, due to his determination not only
to highlight the issues threatening the environment as well as proposing
possible solutions, but also to act as a catalyst for change.”
One of the conservation challenges The Prince has been highlighting for
some years has been the threat to the albatross from long-line fi shing,
a practice which kills 300,000 sea birds a year. In April 2005, His Royal
Highness joined the round-the-world sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur at the
launch in London of Operation Ocean Task Force, a project aimed at saving
the albatross from imminent extinction. At the launch The Prince said he
could not “sit here and do nothing while this inexcusable man-made tragedy
goes on out of sight and out of mind.”
30 | ANNUAL REVIEW 2006