Prince William garnered A-list support during his visit to Brazil, as Leonardo DiCaprio, 50, surprised the attendees of the United for Wildlife Summit on November 4 with a video message. The Oscar winner urged world leaders to unite with courage and ambition, stating, "Nature is our most powerful solution."
In his speech, the Prince of Wales, 43, looked ahead to his Earthshot Prize, which he described as "honoring some of the most inspiring people and solutions to our planet's greatest challenges." He emphasized the need to put an end to the criminal networks driving environmental crime and destruction, standing alongside those who are defending nature every day.
William also announced a new partnership between The Royal Foundation, the Coordination of Indigenous Organisations of the Brazilian Amazon, and The Podáali Fund. This partnership will provide legal aid, a support fund for people in immediate peril, and raise awareness of Indigenous peoples' rights.
The summit was attended by government representatives, members of Interpol, and leaders of local Indigenous people. "Environmental crime is now one of the most profitable and damaging forms of transnational crime," said William. "In the past year alone, over 1.7 million hectares of the Amazon were cleared across this region... much of which is driven by illicit activity."
William's message was not only about the danger facing Indigenous peoples but also about their role as protectors of the land. He noted that deforestation rates in Indigenous Lands in the Brazilian Amazon are up to 83% lower than in unprotected areas globally. However, those who stand in the way of illicit activity face deadly consequences. "Latin America recorded 120 environmental protectors killed or disappeared in 2024 — accounting for over 80% of all such cases worldwide," said William. "These are not just statistics. These are lives. These are people taking enormous risks to protect the land and the future we all depend on."
Following the summit, William delighted locals on Rio's iconic Ipanema Beach with a dazzling drone show on the eve of the Earthshot Prize ceremony. The night sky lit up with the Earthshot logo and symbols for each of the five award categories, ending with the words "Prêmio Earthshot" and a QR code for onlookers to scan for more information.
Earlier on Tuesday, he spent an afternoon seeing how Indigenous people are working to restore crucial mangroves, a link between the forests on land and the sea. This followed last year's initiative to help protect wildlife rangers, which saw William's organization construct a scheme that backed rangers with an insurance policy that protected them and their families. On Tuesday, he talked about the progress that has been made, stating that they had insured more than 6,000 rangers within the first year and were now working to replicate this model around the world.
