Prince Charles says ‘future of humanity’ at stake ahead of climate summit

by Monique Beals - 10/31/21 1:32 PM ET

Prince Charles said that the United Nations’ COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland is “the last chance saloon” to save the planet.

“The future of humanity and nature herself are at stake,” Charles said to leaders at the G-20 Summit in Rome, according to The Washington Post.

“We must now translate fine words into still finer actions,” the 72-year-old British prince added with regard to the climate conference.

Charles also reportedly told leaders gathered at the G-20 conference to reflect on their “overwhelming responsibility to generations yet unborn.”

“It is impossible not to hear the despairing voices of young people who see you as the stewards of the planet, holding the viability of their future in your hands,” he said, according to the Post.

Charles also referenced leaders in the private sector “who are now more and more anxious to invest in the projects and new technologies that could establish a more rapid transition to sustainability.”

The Post also noted that the prince said that CEOs from every sector of the economy had joined the royal’s Sustainable Markets Initiative to work toward “demanding changes in the way businesses behave.”

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi invited Charles to speak at the G-20 summit. The prince’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, recently canceled her plans to attend the COP26 in-person after a doctor recommended she rest after spending a night in the hospital.

At COP26, scheduled to begin on Sunday, countries will gather to discuss ways to reduce global warming to a target of 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.

–Updated at 2:01 p.m.

Tags UN Climate Summit