SAN FRANCISCO -- Prince William issued an urgent plea Saturday for a global effort to resolve the climate crisis by the end of this decade so that "we won't have to sacrifice everything we enjoy."

The prince was speaking as part of a free streamed TED event aimed at unifying people to face the threats of climate change. Speakers range from Pope Francis to actor Chris Hemsworth and former U.S. vice president Al Gore.

The remarks from William, the duke of Cambridge, came in a prerecorded 18-minute video, part of which was released early on YouTube.

"The shared goals of our generation are clear -- together we must protect and restore nature, clean our air, revive our oceans, build a waste-free world and fix our climate," he said.

The 38-year-old prince recently helped launch the Earthshot prize, providing a cash award for people, companies, organizations, governments, cities or even countries that propose workable solutions to climate change.

The prince joined forces with Sir David Attenborough, the respected broadcaster and natural historian, in launching what they hoped would become a "Nobel Prize for environmentalism."

Laying out the global challenge in his TED remarks, the prince said, "We must strive to do all of this in a decade."

"If we achieve these goals, by 2030 our lives won't be worse and we won't have to sacrifice everything we enjoy. Instead, the way we live will be healthier, cleaner, smarter and better for all."

Other participants include UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Mexican activist Xiye Bastida and actors Priyanka Chopra, Jane Fonda, Don Cheadle and Mark Ruffalo.

Saturday's program, dubbed Countdown, featured the blend of arts, ideas and innovation seen as the hallmarks of TED events.

Hundreds of TEDx mini-events were also taking place around the world in an effort to encourage local action for the environment.

The six-hour main program began in California at 8:00 am (1500 GMT) on YouTube's TED channel. In a TED first, it was being aired free of charge.