Prince Charles is to travel to America later this month to pick up Harvard Medical School's Global Environmental Citizen Award. The heir to the throne will be presented with the honour in New York by Hollywood actress Meryl Streep and last year's recipient Al Gore.
He joins a prestigious roll call of previous winners - who include Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford - all of whom have been honoured for their work in highlighting awareness of global environmental change. Last month Charles announced plans to make his household's travel plans more eco-friendly, by cutting down on use of private planes and helicopters and encouraging some staff to use bicycles.
The Prince, who has described climate change as the "biggest threat to mankind", is also planning to publish details of his own carbon footprint - a measure of how his activities have impacted on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced - as part of his 2007 accounts. Determined to do his bit, the organic produce-raising royal has had a woodchip burner heating system installed at his Highgrove estate.
Charles' two-day visit to Philadelphia and New York on January 27 and 28 "will emphasise the importance which the UK government places on climate change as a key international priority", said a spokeswoman for the Prince.
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