Prince of Wales to Unveil Earth Charter to Boost Green Business

(Bloomberg) -- The Prince of Wales will unveil a “Terra Carta” or Earth Charter to give businesses a roadmap to move to a sustainable future by 2030.

Prince Charles, who has long championed environmental issues and previously warned that the unfolding climate emergency could soon dwarf the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, will urge corporate leaders to support the initiative at the One Planet Summit in Paris on Monday, his office said.

The aim is “to bring prosperity into harmony with nature, people and planet over the coming decade,” he is expected to say in a speech, according to comments released in a statement. “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 charter forms part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative -- a 10-point plan to accelerate the shift to eco-friendly markets -- launched by Prince Charles with the World Economic Forum last year.

It includes commitments to “recognize that ensuring the integrity of all ecosystems, on land and under water, requires that climate, oceans, desertification and biodiversity be treated as one common system and addressed simultaneously.”

The heir to the British throne, who in September rolled out a six-step “Marshall-like plan” aimed at putting the world on a better footing to fight global warming, has occasionally drawn fire from critics who say members of the royal family should steer clear of policy matters.