For over fifty years, King Charles has used his unique position to champion action for a sustainable future. His son Prince William, founder of the Earthshot Prize, is equally passionate.
"I wish to champion the dreamers, the thinkers and the innovators from every walk of life, who share an ambition to build a better, more sustainable world," he proudly announced in Cape Town at the fourth Earthshot Prize Awards last year.
© GettyThe relationship between royalty and climate change is more crucial than ever, with the planet warming at a faster rate than ever before. But can they actually do anything about it?
In her monthly column, Lucy Johnson, HELLO!'s Planet Positive Green Coach and founder of Lovebrook & Green, joined royalty at the Climate Change (CC) Forum in Paris to find out…
Introducing Lucy Johnson, HELLO!'s Planet Positive Green Coach
Lucy Johnson is a green coach and qualified psychotherapist, working with people and businesses to rebalance with nature.
Lucy, founder of sustainable lifestyle consultancy Green Salon, is passionate about living a life in balance with nature.
"I hope to inspire people just like you, who'd like to improve their own wellbeing by clearing pollutants from their homes, cooking delicious, nutritious food and finding brands that don’t cost the earth.
"People who want to explore a new world of forest-bathing and wild-swimming, take night-trains on holiday and glamp under desert stars.
"My new monthly column will cover the highs and, sometime lows, of living a greener life. I hope you’ll come along and join me on this journey."
Once upon a time, King Charles was ridiculed for his passionate embrace of the natural world. But as climate change grabs the headlines on a weekly basis, the defence of the environment is being taken up by more of Europe’s royal elites.
The list of HRHs talking about the need to protect the planet is long and growing. Prince Laurent of Belgium, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Prince Albert of Monaco and Princess Camilla of Bourbon, to name just a few.
Just before Christmas, I was invited to the Climate Change (CC) Forum in Paris to talk about the green transition and meet some of the European royals funding the defence of the natural world. We met in the gilded rooms of the Intercontinental Le Grand Hotel, in the shadow of the Paris Opera. I found myself sipping fine wines and swapping gossip with some of the world’s wealthiest private investors, a smattering of celebrities and a few of Europe’s royals.
The CC Forum has been nicknamed the Green Davos, after the annual gathering of world leaders in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, where much of the political elite have traditionally wined and dined and struck backroom deals.
As in Davos, there was no shortage of power in the room. But everyone I spoke to had one thing at the top of their agenda: how to speed up investment into creating a more sustainable future.
© Lucy JohnsonIt's evident the world needs that money. It’s estimated that globally we need to invest trillions of dollars by 2030 in a successful energy transition to prevent the planet from significantly overshooting a 1.5-degree temperature rise. However much they may - or in the case of the new US President may not - want to fund that transition, governments around the world do not have enough money. And so the wealth of global elites - who incidentally emit more carbon than 66 per cent of the world - is critical in making that happen.
Founded by serial entrepreneur, Max Studennikoff, CC Forum is one of the places the elites gather to not just talk about protecting the planet, but to network and do deals that Max claims are funnelling "billions of dollars" into funding it.
As he told me: "It is through investing in revolutionary, groundbreaking projects that humanity has the potential of bootstrapping ourselves from the fine mess we are in."
© Lucy JohnsonAmong the innovators I met in Paris was Gunter Pauli, whose book The Blue Economy argues we can all become richer by using what we have in more intelligent ways. Pauli’s projects include seaweed that absorbs ocean microplastics which gets turned into biogas, and paper made from left-over stone which uses 85 per cent less energy than traditional paper.
Another was Sarah Rennison Gwynne-Harris whose company, Reclaim Mallorca, creates in-demand bags made of left-over fabrics from fashion houses like LVMH and Missoni. Her bags are a favourite among European royals and celebrities like Lady Amelia Windsor and Kate Moss.
© Reclaim MallorcaOne thing I heard from all the deal-makers in the room is that investing in a sustainable transition is not just good for the planet - but also, increasingly, good business.
One investor quoted a Confederation of British Industry report saying that the UK economy grew by an underwhelming 1 per cent in 2023, except in the net zero section of the economy, where it grew by 9 per cent. Such numbers can sound abstract and remote, but in the end, they translate into jobs and potential economic growth. Something that governments all over the world are desperate to achieve.
© Lucy JohnsonAs Princess Camilla of Bourbon Two Sicilies said at the forum, royal families think in long timespans, which is just how the climate works.
"I believe that when you are in the royalty world, you are very conscious of heritage and therefore… you have to invest for the younger generation".
Lucy Johnson is a green coach working with individuals and businesses to rebalance with nature. She’s the founder of Green Salon sustainable lifestyle consultancy and Lovebrook & Green, the world’s first ethical luxury department store which is launching soon. You can sign up for exclusive early access here.
