How Prince Charles Pleaded With World Leaders At COP26

If your house was on fire, it's highly likely you would not just shrug your shoulders and try to ignore it. And yet, that's exactly how many people, including world leaders, are reacting to stark evidence that climate change poses a lethal threat to our planet. One notable exception is Prince Charles, who has used his platform to argue for drastic action at the COP26 climate change summit, as reported by CNBC.

The queen's eldest son has long been a vocal supporter of environmental issues, even winning numerous accolades for his campaign work, including a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2012 International Green Awards. During his speech at the UN-hosted event, his appeals for change had a clear sense of urgency, with him at one point despairing that time to save our planet had "quite literally run out." However, the Prince of Wales did have suggestions on how to lessen the effects of climate change — measures he pleaded with global leaders to adopt.

The COP26, according to the UN website, is a summit held with the intention of "working with all countries and joining forces with civil society, companies and people on the frontline of climate change to inspire climate action." Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prince Charles pointed to a recent study from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which advised cutting down carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gases. "Putting a value on carbon, thus making carbon capture solutions more economical, is therefore absolutely critical," Charles said (via CNBC).

It's not the first time the Prince of Wales has advocated for radical climate change reforms. In 2020, at Climate Week NYC, he called for a "Marshall-like plan for nature, people and planet." However, as he noted at COP26, countries need to work together to solve this problem. "Our efforts cannot be a series of independent initiatives running in parallel." 

Let's hope the world will sit up and listen — before it really is too late.