Up close with Prince William's Earthshot Prize winners
ABC News
The winners show climate solutions could be just around the corner.
Eshrat Waris called just attending the COP26 climate summit and meeting Prince William in Glasgow, Scotland, this week an "out of body experience." Being handed 1 million pounds for her Earthshot Prize-winning invention took it to another level.
"The fact that we're in the room means that -- I hope to God -- they unlock that money because there are solutions like the 15 Earthshot finalists have shown," Waris told ABC News. "But that financing that has been promised since Paris, I hope to God in Glasgow gets delivered and unlocked for all of us because these solutions are going to be game-changers."
The 34-year-old from Bangladesh was one of five winners of the prince's inaugural Earthshot Prize, each of whom received 1 million pounds, or about $1.38 million, in financial support. All 15 finalists received some funding to scale their climate change solutions.
Waris won the award for a smartmeter that allows people to sell excess solar energy developed by SOLshare where she is the director of product and business development.