Prince William is "extremely focused" on the legacy of the Earthshot Prize

A royal aide told The Sunday Times newspaper: "This trip is part of his evolution as a global statesman which is incredibly important, especially since becoming Prince of Wales.

"He and his courtiers have been thinking about how to manage that transition from Duke of Cambridge to the next king. You've seen a number of iterations of that, whether that's meeting with Joe Biden in Boston or travelling to the border with Ukraine and talking about the importance of fighting for our freedoms.

"The US is very important to him. The world's climate movers and shakers will be in New York having conversations about the future of the planet and the prince is keen to be part of those conversations and put Earthshot front and centre.

"He has huge ambitions for what the prize can become and is extremely focused on its legacy and impact."

The future monarch was actually scheduled to attend last year's summit. However, he cancelled his plans following the passing of Queen Elizabeth in September.

Prince William previously revealed that he's determined to "find the solutions to repair our planet".

The royal urged young people to "keep demanding change, and don't give up hope" at the first-ever Earthshot Prize at Alexandra Palace in London in 2021.

He said during the ceremony: "I want to say something to all the young people watching tonight. For too long, we haven't done enough to protect the planet for your future - but Earthshot is for you.

"In the next ten years we are going to act. We are going to find the solutions to repair our planet. Please keep learning, keep demanding change, and don't give up hope. We will rise to these challenges."