Filmmaker Karan Johar and Prince William recently met in London to discuss the upcoming Earthshot Prize, a global environmental award founded in 2020 by Prince William and The Royal Foundation to find, celebrate and scale innovative solutions to the world’s environmental challenges. This year’s edition is particularly significant for India as the ceremony will be hosted in Mumbai on November 17.In a video shared by the official YouTube channel of The Earthshot Prize, Karan Johar and Prince William can be seen discussing this year’s finalists, the environmental issues they are tackling and the importance of the award.The video begins with Karan waiting for William, who walks into the room with a warm smile. The two meet at a building in London with a view of Big Ben, officially known as the Elizabeth Tower. After greeting each other, Karan points towards the landmark and says, “It’s spectacular.” William agrees, saying, “I know. It’s one of the greatest views in London, isn’t it? And we organised the sunshine for you.”The two then discuss the weather in India, with Prince William pointing out the lack of rain and its impact on farmers.“Almost three to four months without any proper rain. The farmers are struggling. Our water supplies are under stress. I think it’s making people more aware that water is a precious resource.”“Yes. Well, that’s what people are talking about,” Karan responds. Prince William then says, “Exactly.”It is at this point that Karan Johar announces that India will host this year’s Earthshot Prize.Story continues below this adAlso Read – Hanuman Ansh’s original team fell apart days before shoot; Neem Karoli Baba’s bhakts stepped in“You know, Mumbai, India is going to host the Earthshot Prize. We have 15 finalists and then eventually five winners on the special night on the 17th of November. Five of them will win a million pounds each for the cause that they have dedicated their lives to. And that’s the trophy.”Looking at the trophy, Prince William says, “It’s amazing. It’s been around the world a fair bit already. It is making the point that we’ve all got a part to play. We need to look after the planet. I remember very clearly the energy and the vibrancy of Mumbai. And most importantly for the Earthshot is that we’ve had more finalists and more winners from India than any other country. I’m really excited to see what comes out of actually being in India and hosting the awards this year there.”An excited Karan responds, “The fact that there’s so much Indian representation makes my heart full. But with some of them, there’s also a deep business possibility because I think it combines philanthropy with business incentives so beautifully with the Earthshot Prize.”Story continues below this adPrince William agrees, saying, “Absolutely. These are proper businesses that are going to make investors money.”The two then discuss some of this year’s finalists, including Satellites on Fire and Mahindra Last Mile Mobility, touching upon issues such as wildfires, electric vehicles and sustainable solutions being developed across the world.Discussing the finalists and their causes, Karan Johar says, “I think what’s very special about the Earthshot Prize is how it’s bringing the world together to fight one common cause. And for that, I have to really, truly congratulate you for supporting and backing this and giving it your heart because I can tell whenever you speak about it, you can, you know, manufacture many things, but you can’t manufacture passion.”Prince William attributes that passion to the finalists themselves.“It’s that the passion comes from the genuine finalists and winners. You only have to spend 10 minutes talking to them and you realise not only how dedicated they are, but how brilliant their ideas are.”Story continues below this adKaran Johar concludes the conversation by extending a welcome to Prince William and the Earthshot Prize on behalf of Mumbai.“Well, on behalf of everyone in Mumbai, we’d kind of like to welcome you and the Earthshot Prize to Mumbai on the 17th of November.”The Earthshot Prize was inspired by US President John F Kennedy’s 1961 Moonshot, which united people around the goal of landing a person on the Moon within a decade. The Earthshot Prize similarly aims to drive progress towards solving some of the world’s biggest environmental challenges by 2030.The awards are presented across five categories: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World and Fix Our Climate.Story continues below this adThe previous Earthshot Prize ceremony was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 5.