Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah urged the international community to recognize the urgent need for a united and resilient front in the face of environmental crises, pinning hopes on bold initiatives, human ingenuity, and coordinated action to repair our planet.

On Thursday, Queen Rania delivered these statements in a pre-recorded video message that was shown during the first-ever Earthshot Innovation Showcase at Expo 2020 Dubai. His Royal Highness Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, attended the event, which was held in the UAE multinational DP World Pavilion in the presence of its Group Chairman and CEO, His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem.

Queen Rania is a member of the Earthshot Prize Council, which selects five winners each year for the worldwide environmental prize. The Queen warned a group of top environmental innovators and influential business leaders from around the world that "our shared environment" is buckling under the weight of the climate crisis, particularly as the threat of rising temperatures and shrinking water supplies in the Middle East and elsewhere cannot be overstated.

الملكة رانيا تشارك عبر رسالة متلفزة مسجلة في جلسة عرض الابتكارات لجائزة ايرث شوت التي عقدت في #دبي #الامارات

Queen Rania’s pre-recorded video message, aired at the first-ever @EarthshotPrize Innovation Showcase in #Dubai #UAE pic.twitter.com/a5ISrMwpJL

— Rania Al Abdullah (@QueenRania) February 10, 2022

"Every region is under threat when it comes to the environment," Her Majesty said, adding that "human ingenuity is the ultimate renewable resource." And the fuel we need to save the planet is right here in our own heads, hearts, and hands."

The event featured five innovative solutions from the 2021 Earthshot Prize finalists, who pitched their projects and initiatives to the audience in order to explore scale-up opportunities. Three of the five Earthshot Prize categories were represented by the finalists: Revive our Oceans, Fix our Climate, and Build a Waste-Free World.

The Queen said in her speech that not all hope is lost since "the future is these finalists—and so many like them throughout the world."

Sharing Her Majesty's sentiment, Prince William, the founder of The Earthshot Prize and a longtime supporter of environmental justice, stated in his opening remarks, "We have reason to hope, our future is not yet set, and while the task ahead is great, we still have the ability to repair our planet, and create a better world." The Earthshot mission is more than a competition. It will take a worldwide team effort to instill urgent hope and game-changing innovation o transform our future."

Queen Rania also addressed the many possibilities that come with a culture that rewards green innovation and climate action, as she had with these finalists, whose innovative solutions range from "farming coral on land" and "providing grid-free electricity" to "bringing concrete seawalls to life" and "harnessing and selling the sun."

"However, as exciting as these daring ideas are, we're all in a race against time," Her Majesty added, referring to additional obstacles that must be surmounted. She cited a survey of half the world's population, which found that two-thirds of people recognize the urgency and magnitude of climate change.