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Prince Charles makes endearing comment about Prince George's interest in climate change

The heir to the throne has introduced COP26: In Your Hands

Deputy Online Editor
October 18, 2021

Prince Charles has opened up about his grandson Prince George, and his particular interest in climate change. Ahead of his documentary COP26: In Your Hands, the royal revealed how George, aged eight, is learning how global warming was causing "the big storms, and floods, the droughts, fires and food shortages" around the world.

READ: Prince William expresses concerns for Prince George's generation after son's litter picking experience

Charles, who was shown holding a revolving earth globe in the footage, told viewers: "Your future depends upon the future of the planet." The Sky Kids Original documentary features six young climate change activists who highlight the devastating impact climate change has had on their corners of the earth.

WATCH: Prince Charles introduces Sky Kids climate change documentary

The Prince explains: "I'm old enough to have a grandson. Like you, he is learning how climate change is causing the big storms, and floods, the droughts, fires, and food shortages we are seeing around the world.

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"When I was his age, people had no idea about the damage they were doing, but by the time I was a teenager I started to see that if we didn’t stop polluting our planet, we would face a very dangerous future indeed."

He expressed concern that "we have forgotten that we have to put back into nature as much as we take out".

Charles's introduction was released the day after his eldest son, the Duke of Cambridge, staged his inaugural Earthshot Prize eco-awards ceremony – an ambitious £50 million, ten-year initiative designed to find solutions to the world’s environmental problems. World leaders are preparing to gather at the Cop26 UN climate change conference in Glasgow at the end of the month.

© Photo: Getty Images

Prince George is showing a keen interest in climate change

During an interview with BBC Newscast on BBC Sounds last week, Prince William talked about George's litter picking outing, which was organised by his school Thomas's Battersea.

Prince William, 39, admitted he is worried that his son's generation might still be talking about climate change in 30 years' time, when it "will be too late".

"So George at school recently has been doing litter picking and I didn't realise but talking to him the other day he was already showing that he was getting a bit confused," he explained. "[He was] a bit sort of annoyed by the fact they went out litter picking one day and then the very next day, they did the same route, same time and pretty much all the same litter they picked up was back again.

Prince Charles has launched COP26: In Your Hands

"And I think that for him he was trying to understand how and where it all came from. He couldn't understand, he's like, 'Well, we cleaned this. Why has it not gone away?'"

He also told presenter Adam Fleming: "It shouldn't be that there's a third generation now coming along having to ramp it up even more.

"And you know, for me, it would be an absolute disaster if George is sat here talking to you or your successor, Adam, you know in like 30 years’ time, whatever, still saying the same thing because by then we will be too late."

Cop26: In Your Hands launched on Monday on Sky Kids, Sky News, and NOW.

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