Attenborough hopes Cop26 will change world
British documentary-maker and naturalist Sir David Attenborough says there are two causes for hope at the Cop26 environmental summit.
He said that for the first time in history, all nations should be on the same side to fight climate change. Meanwhile, modern communications meant anyone, anywhere could see the problems and take part in solving them.
He was speaking at Chatham House, in London, where he was presented with the Centenary Lifetime Award as the institution celebrates its 100th anniversary.
“Until now international relations have been dominated by argument, by disagreement over points of view,” Attenborough said.
“Right now, the major problems that face the nations of the world are the same for all countries.
“It is for all the nations’ advantage that we should agree to take action. That is an extraordinary change.”
He said his second reason for hope was how “humanity communicates with itself”.
“For the first time it is possible for people to speak today and be heard, within minutes, across the world,” Attenborough said.
“This is not just television. It is about the whole change of communications between the people of the world.
“For the first time it is possible to see the dimensions of the problem, to see the pictures of devastation or of hope.
“For the first time, people around the world can hear the arguments and the solutions. Those two things give me some hope.”
He called November’s Cop26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland, a meeting “of the haves and the have nots”.
Rising global temperatures could increase the risk of diseases such as malaria, which flourishes in hot countries.
Scientists also believe climate change will lead to more frequent natural disasters such as heatwaves, droughts and floods.
A target to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial times was set in the Paris Agreement six years ago.
The Glasgow summit is aimed at implementing that goal and taking more ambitious steps.
Chatham House has also named two other award winners, who will pick up their honours in the coming weeks.
Greta Thunberg has been given the Centenary Change-makers Award and Melina Abdullah, co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of the Black Lives Matter movement, will be presented with the Centenary Diversity Champion Award.