The heir to the British throne visited Singapore this week to honor innovators who are working to repair the planet. He met with winners and finalists of the Earthshot Prize, which his foundation launched in 2020 to highlight solutions and technologies for climate change.
The prize honors those who are using a range of methods to tackle the issue, from an Indian maker of solar-powered dryers to a soil carbon marketplace. William, who was wearing a 10-year-old dark green blazer by Alexander McQueen, said he was impressed by the finalists’ work. “There is still hope that we can turn things around,” he said.
He and other guests sat at a table decorated with the finalists’ projects and were served a meal by a local restaurant. He also listened to an impromptu discussion by members of the public, who told him that they were concerned about global warming and the loss of species.
At the end of the ceremony, he was presented with the Singapore Prize medal, which bears the state’s coat of arms and a gold star on its obverse, and a sash with the same design on the reverse. He is not the first Singaporean to win the award, which has been given since 1969. The first prize was awarded to a Singapore-based company, Enterprise 50. Since then, the award has been given to other organisations and individuals.
This year, a graduate from the University Scholars Programme was named winner of the Singapore prize for internal medicine, a cash award and a certificate. Aaron Maniam, a graduating student of Duke-NUS Medical School, was nominated by the college and chosen for her strong commitment to wide-ranging learning through co-curricular activities and community service.
Several other prizes and awards are also awarded in Singapore, including the Enterprise 50 Awards. The NORNS Awards recognises companies that have made significant contributions to the economy through innovation and business excellence in Singapore and abroad. The SG50 Awards, meanwhile, honours local businesses that have made Singapore one of the world’s top economies.
Launched in 1968, the TOTO game has evolved over the years. In 1981, the game was relaunched with a snowballing feature, which enabled prize amounts to grow if no winner is declared. In 1998, the game was modified to a ‘6-out-of-42’ format, and in 2018, traditional pre-printed tickets were replaced with on-demand ticket printing within Singapore Pools outlets.
The Singapore Prize was established in honour of Christopher Bathurst KC, Viscount Bledisloe, who died in 2009. He was an English barrister who developed a substantial practice at Fountain Court Chambers and also built up a reputation for his work in Asia. The award is managed by the Singapore Prize Trust. The trustees are drawn from members of the public and include senior judges, law firm partners, industry leaders and academics. The Singapore Prize Medal is minted in silver and bears the State Arms on the obverse and the inscription ‘SINGAPORE PRIZE’ on the reverse.