Biden, Prince Charles meet on need for ambitious commitments on climate change

President Biden met with Prince Charles on Tuesday to stress the need for commitments on action to address climate change during the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

The two met on the margins of the climate summit and “discussed the importance of global cooperation in tackling climate change,” according to a senior administration official. 

“They underlined the need for ambitious commitments and concrete actions among partners worldwide and discussed Prince Charles’ initiatives to engage the private sector on sustainability,” the official said. 

Biden thanked the United Kingdom for hosting the summit and reaffirmed the strength of the transatlantic relationship. He also showed his appreciation to the royal family for their work on climate issues. 

“He commended the Royal Family for its dedication to climate issues, particularly Prince Charles’ environmental activism over the last half century,” the official said.

Earlier on Tuesday at the summit, the leaders of more than 100 countries reached an agreement to stop and reverse deforestation by the year 2030. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the agreement, saying it would help the international community limit global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius into the 2030s.

Prince Charles on Monday urged world leaders to take aggressive action on climate change and called for a “vast military-style campaign” that requires major private investment.

His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, addressed the summit in a video message on Monday, welcoming leaders to Glasgow and saying “the time for words has now moved to the time for action.”