Queen Elizabeth welcomed world leaders at the summit of the 26th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26), this Monday (1st), with a video message for reception. According to the Queen, Glasgow, Scotland, was “once the heart of the industrial revolution, but now a place to deal with climate change”.
Recalling the commitment of her late husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to the “impact of the environment on human progress”, which was “a matter very dear to my late husband”.
Philip the Queen said at an academic meeting in 1969: “If the world’s pollution situation is not critical at the moment, it is as certain as anything can be that it will become increasingly unbearable within a very short time. If we fail to deal with this challenge, all other problems will become insignificant.”
The Queen paid tribute to Philip’s work: “he lives through the work of our eldest son Charles and his eldest son William. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
“In fact, I have gained great comfort and inspiration from the relentless enthusiasm of people of all ages – especially young people – calling everyone to do their part. In the coming days, the world will have a chance to join the common goal of creating a more secure and stable future for our people and the planet we depend on. None of us underestimates the challenges that lie ahead, but history shows that when nations unite in a common cause, there is always room for hope,” he says.
“Working side by side, we have the ability to solve the most insurmountable problems and triumph over the greatest adversities. For over seventy years I have been fortunate to meet and meet many of the world’s greatest leaders. And maybe you understood a little bit about what makes them special. It has sometimes been observed that what leaders do for their people today is government and politics. But what they do is for the people of tomorrow – that’s statesmanship,” he continues.
“I, at the very least, hope that this Conference will be one of those rare occasions when everyone will have a chance to rise above the politics of the moment and achieve true leadership. It is the hope of many that the legacy of this summit – written in history books yet to be printed – will describe them as leaders who did not miss the opportunity, and who answered the call of future generations. Who left this conference as a community of nations with a determination, a desire and a plan to address the impact of climate change; and recognize that the time for words has now shifted to the time for action.”
“Of course the benefits of such actions will not be there for all of us to enjoy here today, none of us will live forever. But we are not doing this for ourselves, but for our children and our children’s children, and for those who will follow in their footsteps. And so, I wish you the best of luck in this significant effort,” he concluded.
Buckingham Palace announced last week that the Queen would not attend the summit as planned and would follow medical advice to rest.
Reference: CNN Brasil
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