After showing the prince around, Garden Director Voigt tells PEOPLE, “I love the fact he made time for everyone. It wasn’t rushed, it was very relaxed. There is genuine interest there in all the stories [the companies] had to tell about their innovations from around the world.”

“It seems to be his passion,” Voigt adds.

Voigt says they also spoke about the balance between the dependence on natural resources like fish and coast and the growing demand. “It’s such a fine balance,” he explains. “He knows what’s going on around the world. When he met each finalist he would say. ‘You’re this company with this or that wonderful new products.’ He is engaged and he does his research.”

William also saw a milkwood tree that his father King Charles planted almost exactly 13 years ago when he toured with the then Duchess of Cornwall.

“At the top there we were talking about the tree his father – yesterday to the day 13 years ago – and that in July we planted a new one because we had a severe storm with the highest record of rainfall. He was quite interested in seeing that. He said his dad ‘plants trees everywhere!’ ” Voigt adds.

“He just enjoyed the vista, which is unbelievable. And the weather of course,” Voigt says motioning to the clear blue sky. “He was saying about the rugby with the kids and it was raining and then it opened up for an hour or so, he could engage with the kids.”

Also among those meeting the prince was Ninna Granucci, co-founder of another Earthshot Prize finalist, Ferment’Up. Earlier in the week, she told PEOPLE: “It is brilliant how [William] is using all the attention he can get to focus on the problems that we need to solve and the solutions we can use to do that. I am very grateful to him for bringing so diverse people together with the same goal of finding solutions for our climate.”

Kelly Adams, CEO of Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems, which has developed a technology to capture waste heat and convert it into electricity, is another finalist who has been taking part in Earthshot Week, He told PEOPLE, “We’re the first company to design [a product like this] at this scale. The captured electricity will be used on-site for future power. It cuts down the electrical power a plant will be using too. It’s a paradigm shift for the industry.”

Prince William, Prince of Wales, walks through the gardens at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town
Prince William walks through the gardens at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town on Nov. 6, 2024. JEROME DELAY/POOL/AFP via Getty
He commended William’s ability to bring people together and amplify a message that resonates globally.

“This is an amazing opportunity for us. We are trying to get out to society and show what’s possible. When you’re at the forefront of innovation, that can take a long time,” he said.