Prince Charles pens article for Waitrose Weekend praising retailer for signing up to his Terra Carta

Prince Charles has penned an article for Waitrose’s weekly newspaper claiming the ‘fundamental value of nature is increasingly at stake’ as he praised the John Lewis Partnership for becoming the first retailer to sign up to his ambitious Terra Carta.

Writing in the supermarket’s free Waitrose Weekend publication, the Prince of Wales, 72, said the world is ‘at a tipping point’ as it faces ‘the triple threat of climate change, catastrophic biodiversity loss and now coronavirus‘.

He addressed the ‘fierce and urgent need’ to secure a sustainable future, which is why he launched his Terra Carta. 

Charles’s Earth Charter initiative, which has parallels with the Magna Carta, aims to encourage the private sector to safeguard the planet by adopting sustainability and to invest £7.3billion in ‘natural capital’ by 2022.

Prince Charles has penned an article for Waitrose’s weekly newspaper claiming the ‘fundamental value of nature is increasingly at stake’ as he praised the John Lewis Partnership for becoming the first retailer to sign up to his ambitious Terra Carta (pictured while on a visit to a sustainable salmon farm on Loch Leven at Onich, by Fort William, in 2016)

He described his call to action as a ‘very practical recovery plan’ which strives to ‘defend, strengthen and work with the power of nature for the benefit of every man, woman and child in the world’.

Charles shared his delight that the supermarket, whose organic range Waitrose Duchy Organic was originally founded by the prince as Duchy Originals in 1990, had become involved.

‘I have been so encouraged by the enthusiastic global corporate response to this call to action – there seems to be a real sense of the fierce and urgent necessity to act before it is literally too late,’ the prince said.

‘When I heard the John Lewis Partnership was to become the first retailer to sign up, I was particularly delighted.

Charles shared his delight that the supermarket, whose organic range Waitrose Duchy Organic was originally founded by the prince as Duchy Originals in 1990, had become involved in his Terra Carta

Charles shared his delight that the supermarket, whose organic range Waitrose Duchy Organic was originally founded by the prince as Duchy Originals in 1990, had become involved in his Terra Carta

‘Not only are John Lewis and Waitrose Royal Warrant holders but, of course, Waitrose is home to Duchy Organic, the company I started more than 30 years ago to show it was possible to produce high quality food working in harmony with nature, one of the principles that lies at the heart of the Terra Carta.’

The prince was pictured in the publication in an orange life jacket while on a visit to a sustainable salmon farm on Loch Leven at Onich, by Fort William, in 2016.

The John Lewis Partnership has pledged to become net zero carbon across its operations by 2035, and to stop using fossil fuels throughout its transport fleet by 2030.

Charles wrote: ‘It is that sort of step change in approach that will make the difference.

‘It is also what consumers increasingly expect, particularly in the area of packaging, where I know the Partnership is always striving for new solutions.’   

The 17-page, 85-point Terra Carta, designed by Sir Jony, sets out an immediate ten-point action plan for businesses which will provide a roadmap to a more sustainable future for the private sector

The 17-page, 85-point Terra Carta, designed by Sir Jony, sets out an immediate ten-point action plan for businesses which will provide a roadmap to a more sustainable future for the private sector

The prince added: ‘To guarantee our future, we have no other choice but to make each day count – and it must start today.’

The Duchess of Cambridge’s sister Pippa Matthews has regularly written for Waitrose Weekend, announcing she was pregnant with her first child in a fitness column in 2018. 

Charles unveiled his Terra Carta via video link at the One Planet Summit in Paris back in January, urging business leaders to support his Earth Charter and ‘bring prosperity into harmony with nature, people and planet’ over the next decade.

He told delegates: ‘I am making an urgent appeal to leaders, from all sectors and from around the world, to give their support to this Terra Carta, to bring prosperity into harmony with nature, people and planet over the coming decade.’ 

The prince hopes it will put an end to decades of unfulfilled agreements on the environment and give ‘our children and grandchildren the future they deserve’.

The Prince of Wales launched his ambitious £7.3billion recovery plan in January to right a string of 'broken promises' over the environment

The Prince of Wales launched his ambitious £7.3billion recovery plan in January to right a string of ‘broken promises’ over the environment

He believes harnessing the private sector and big business is the way to do it.

The prince has spent the past year meeting world leaders from industry, government, philanthropy and technology to convene a ‘coalition of the willing’, who have vowed to bring sustainability ‘to the heart’ of their work.

Those that have signed up include Bank of America, AstraZeneca, Schroders, HSBC, Heathrow Airport, Coutts, BP and Sir Jony Ive, the British-born former chief design officer at Apple.

The launch of Charles’ project came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the UK will spend at least £3billion of its international funding for climate action on efforts to protect nature over the next five years.

The move is in response to the close connection between climate and nature, which has seen 68 per cent declines in populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians since 1970 and massive deforestation.

Charles’ global project complements the Duke of Cambridge’s international Earthshot Prize, which has £50 million in prize money to award to ideas and technologies that safeguard the environment over the decade.