The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have promised to make Archewell, their charity organization, net zero by 2030.
The corporation has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions over the next three years, inspired by Harry and Meghan’s “long-standing commitment to the planet, both together and prior to their union.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the statement on the Archewell Foundation’s official website on November 2 during Cop26, a global meeting bringing together more than 100 countries to explore climate change solutions. This is also the first time that members of the British royal family have made such a vow. HM Queen Elizabeth II did, however, present a special message at the meeting.
In a statement, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said, “We are a young company, but today, Archewell joins our co-founders in committing to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030.” It went on to describe how “what we eat and how often we eat it, our transport and the frequency of it, our daily commute, our use of electricity/heating, our reliance on big industries that contribute to the problem” all add to our carbon footprint. “A series of choices over time to make that footprint as small as possible, while compensating for any remaining emissions through high-quality carbon removal projects,” Archewell says.
“As an organisation, we will work with an independent consultant to track all Archewell-related activities from our inception (internet use, commutes, and electricity in home offices, for example) to understand our collective footprint.
“Using 2022 as our baseline year, they will develop a plan for Archewell that aligns with the latest guidance from leading organisations, like the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), while offsetting remaining emissions until we achieve net zero in 2030 and beyond.”
Travalyst, the Prince Harry-founded sustainable tourism platform, and Ethic, a sustainable investment and asset management, are helping Archewell achieve their aim. The pair revealed their new jobs as “impact partners” with Ethic earlier this month. “We believe it’s time for more people to have a seat at the table when decisions are made that impact everyone. We want to rethink the nature of investing to help solve the global issues we all face,” they had stated. “Our impact partnership with Ethic is one of the ways we put our values in action.”
A spokesperson for Archewell said: “Carbon emissions are a part of nearly every activity in daily life—the food we eat, the electricity we use, and the internet we are connected to, for example. The totality of these actions comprises our ‘carbon footprint’.
“Today’s commitment is that Archewell, including Prince Harry and Meghan the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be working with experts to assess the sum total of our emissions, and develop a plan of action to reach net zero.
“Achieving net zero carbon emissions means making a series of choices over time to make our footprint as small as possible, while compensating for any remaining emissions through investments in carbon removal projects like reforestation.”
In his Apple TV documentary ‘The Me You Can’t See,’ Prince Harry also addressed his climate worries, calling it one of the “most pressing issues” of our time.
“With kids growing up in today’s world, [it’s] pretty depressing right, depending on where you live, your home country is either on fire, it’s either underwater, houses or forests are being flattened,” he said.
