News
HRH praises groundbreaking sustainability ideas at the Sustainable Development Commission’s conference
1st July 2009
The Prince of Wales has called on society to recognise the worth of "nature's capital" today as he attended a conference showcasing groundbreaking sustainability ideas.
The Prince praised the innovative projects on display, describing them as "potential breakthroughs" but told his audience the world was a "frighteningly long way" from making sustainability a central principle.
He went on to say that nature's capital should be at the heart of a new approach to economics.
The projects were featured at the conference led by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) - the Government's independent advisory body on sustainability issues.
The SDC's Breakthroughs for the 21st Century scheme selected 19 ideas out of almost 300 submissions to feature at today's event.
Organisers of the scheme believe they could make the biggest difference in tackling climate change, depletion of resources and inequality.
The Prince told delegates at the event: "To be truly sustainable we have to begin by understanding that we can no longer live off nature's capital. Once it is gone it cannot be replenished.
"We need to put nature's capital and community capital at the heart of a reformed approach to economics which recognises that the current system is inherently unsustainable, due to circumstances we now face, and in many ways the cause of many of the problems threatening to overwhelm us."
The Prince watched a number of schemes being demonstrated including engineering firm Arup's proposal to use fast-growing algae to soak up carbon emissions from power stations and then use the biological material for products such as oil, food and pharmaceuticals.
Other demonstrations included campaign group Platform's suggestion that the largely public-owned Royal Bank of Scotland should be transformed from the bank most closely associated with the oil and gas industry into investing in projects to tackle climate change.
SDC chairman Jonathon Porritt said: "Some of the breakthrough ideas we've selected represent cutting-edge innovation and imagination; others are familiar but powerful ideas whose time has come." He said there was now a need to turn the ideas into reality.
Click here to read HRH's speech.