LONDON — Facing diminished hopes ahead of what many see as world governments’ last chance to get global warming under control, Britain’s Prince Charles on Monday is set to tell leaders that nations must put themselves on “war-like footing” to combat the climate crisis.
The heir to the throne will help kick off the United Nations’ nearly two-week COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. President Joe Biden is arriving on Monday and joins representatives of more than 100 nations to hash out new targets to reduce emissions and put off the effects of climate change.
“We need a vast military-style campaign to marshal the strength of the global private sector,” Charles, 72, plans to say according to excerpts of comments sent to the media. “With trillions at its disposal.”
“We have to put ourselves on what might be called a war-like footing,” he will say.
Charles, long a passionate environmentalist, has in the past described the summit as a “last chance saloon.”
The summit, which was delayed by a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, will be a family affair for the royals. In addition to his wife, Camilla, Charles will also be joined at the conference by his son and daughter-in-law, Prince William and his wife, Kate. Queen Elizabeth II was originally scheduled to attend but cancelled her appearance on the advice of doctors. Instead, she will deliver a recorded video address.
Existing national climate pledges have put the world on track for a global temperature rise by the end of the century of 2.7 degrees Celsius, rather than the 1.5-degree target set forth under the 2015 Paris Agreement, according to a report released last week by the U.N. Environment Programme.
Biden, who has made addressing climate change a priority, will arrive at the summit after spending the weekend in Rome at the G20 summit. He will be joined by 12 Cabinet members and senior administration officials.
There’s a lingering question however, of how much Biden will be able to deliver in terms of climate commitments. Although he has announced his $1.75 trillion climate and social spending plan, he has yet to get it passed. His framework will put the U.S. on course to meet its emissions reduction targets, according to the White House.
There were also several notable no-shows for the Glasgow summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro are not expected to attend. On Sunday, Biden pointed to Russia and China’s absence at the G20 as the reason that the Rome meeting’s climate commitments didn’t go far enough.
Ahead of the opening ceremony, journalists and other conference attendees posted photos on social media of long lines to get in to the conference.
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Charles, who will be joined by U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the opening, also spoke at the start of the COP21 climate conference, held in Paris in 2015.
Last month, the prince said he understood the frustration of young climate activists that not enough was being done.
“People should really notice how despairing so many young people are,” said Charles in an interview with the BBC.
William has followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather who both championed environmental causes. He called the summit “a landmark moment for the future of our planet,” in a tweet on Monday.
In Glasgow, he said he will be joined by finalists from the Earthshot Prize, which he launched to find technological or policy solutions to the effects of climate change.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
