Prince Charles continues to do his bit to help the planet.
The Prince of Wales is urging businesses to back a more sustainable future, asking them to join the Terra Carta.
According to the Guardian, the project will launch Monday before the One Planet summit in Paris, with it aiming to raise £7 billion (around C$12 billion) to invest in the natural world by 2022 through the Natural Capital Investment Alliance.
Charles will tell the conference during his virtual appearance, “I am making an urgent appeal to leaders, from all sectors and from around the world, to give their support to this Terra Carta, to bring prosperity into harmony with nature, people and planet over the coming decade.
“I can only encourage, in particular, those in industry and finance to provide practical leadership to this common project, as only they are able to mobilize the innovation, scale and resources that are required to transform our global economy.”
The Sustainable Markets Initiative was launched by HRH in January 2020 and aims to support communities, businesses, investors and consumers to take the urgent and necessary steps required to transition to more sustainable practices. pic.twitter.com/lIUDjEj9BK
— The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) January 11, 2021
In the foreword for the launch, Charles writes: “The interdependence between human health and planetary health has never been more clear. As we start a new decade, it is time to focus on the future we wish to build, and indeed leave, for generations to come.
“Humanity has made incredible progress over the past century, yet the cost of this progress has caused immense destruction to the planet that sustains us. We simply cannot maintain this course indefinitely.”
The royal continues, “To build a productive and sustainable future, it is critical that we accelerate and mainstream sustainability into every aspect of our economy.
“To move forward, there must be a center of gravity to catalyze such a monumental effort, and to mobilize the resources and incentives required. Over the past year, through my Sustainable Markets Initiative, I have convened leaders from across industries and almost every sector, and challenged them to identify ways to set our planet on a fundamentally more sustainable trajectory.
“Together, these outstanding business leaders have seized this opportunity to develop a charter of ambitious, but practical action. With these insights, I am launching this ‘Terra Carta’ as the basis of a recovery plan for Nature, People & Planet.
“At this historic tipping point, with the lives and livelihoods of present and future generations in mind, the Terra Carta aims to provide a roadmap for acceleration towards an ambitious and sustainable future; one that will harness the power of Nature combined with the transformative power, innovation and resources of the private sector.
“Over the coming years, my Sustainable Markets Initiative will report on and update the Terra Carta regularly in order to reflect the rapid pace of change and the continuous progress being achieved around the world.
“If we consider the legacy of our generation, more than 800 years ago, Magna Carta inspired a belief in the fundamental rights and liberties of people.
“As we strive to imagine the next 800 years of human progress, the fundamental rights and value of nature must represent a step-change in our ‘future of industry’ and ‘future of economy’ approach.”
