COP26 opening ceremony: Boris Johnson and Prince Charles to speak at Glasgow UN climate change summit

As the world Climate Conference, COP26, gets underway today in Glasgow the Prime Minister and Prince of Wales will address world leaders.

On Monday, Boris Johnson and Prince Charles will lead the opening ceremony by urging the 120 world leaders attending the conference to fulfil their climate promises.

‘We need to act now’

Johnson is expected to tell those at the UN climate conference to take action on phasing out coal power, protecting and restoring forests, providing finance for countries to tackle climate change and boosting electric vehicles.

The Prime Minister is also pledging an extra £1 billion in climate finance to support developing countries by 2025 if the economy grows as forecast and the UK’s aid budget returns to the 0.7% of GDP level.

Mr Johnson is expected to say: “Humanity has long since run down the clock on climate change.

“It’s one minute to midnight and we need to act now.

“If we don’t get serious about climate change today, it will be too late for our children to do so tomorrow.”

It is reported to tell leaders: “We have to move from talk and debate and discussion to concerted, real-world action on coal, cars, cash and trees.

“Not more hopes and targets and aspirations, valuable though they are, but clear commitments and concrete timetables for change.

“We need to get real about climate change and the world needs to know when that’s going to happen.”

The leaders will meet across 12 days, in a bid to agree on the range of increased actions to be taken in the next decade to curb dangerous warming and to deliver financial support for poorer countries least responsible for and most vulnerable to climate change.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales will argue that a “war-like footing” is needed to tackle the climate crisis, and he will call for a “vast military-style campaign” to address urgent environmental issues.

‘Vast military-style campaign’

Charles has been vocal over his concerns for the climate over the past decade, he is expected to tell the UN leaders “We have to put ourselves on what might be called a war-like footing.”

The 72-year-old royal will also promote a  “vast military-style campaign to marshal the strength of the global private sector.”

While the queen will no longer attend the summit in person, her eldest son will plead with global business to use the “trillions at its disposal,” to pursue a climate conscious future.

Charles also delivered a speech in Rome on Sunday, to leaders at the G20 summit.

During those remarks he described Cop26 as “the last-chance saloon”, as he called for “fine words” to be translated into “still finer actions”.

He told the politicians gathered in Italy’s capital that the private sector is “eager” to work with them and “ready to play a hugely significant and game-changing role”, saying solutions to major issues “seem possible only if there is a much closer partnership between Government, the main multilateral banks, the private sector and its investors”.

The climate-conscious royal added: “I am at last sensing a change in attitudes and the build-up of positive momentum”.

The opening ceremony takes place from 1pm to 5pm in Glasgow.