‘The Garden of Eden is no more’: David Attenborough tells leaders at Davos to tackle climate change before damage cannot be fixed
- Veteran broadcaster, 92, was given a Crystal Award at Davos in Switzerland
- He used acceptance speech at World Economic Forum (WEF) to call for action
- Attenborough urged leaders and governments to come up with ‘solutions’
- He will be interviewed by the Duke of Cambridge at the event on Tuesday
Sir David Attenborough has warned that the age of the ‘Garden of Eden’ is over and has called for a plan to urgently tackle climate change.
The veteran broadcaster, 92, used an award acceptance speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Monday to urge business leaders and governments to come up with ‘practical solutions’.
The Blue Planet and Dynasties narrator said he was born during the Holocene period, a time of stability that let human societies prosper.
British naturalist, documentary maker and broadcaster David Attenborough gave a stark warning to leaders at Davos in Switzerland
The naturalist told the WEF: ‘I was born during the Holocene – the 12,000 year period of climatic stability that allowed humans to settle, farm, and create civilisations.
‘In the space of my lifetime, all that has changed.’
The 92-year-old said the world is changing at a rapid pace and urged business leaders and politicians to ‘get on with practical tasks.’
He added: ‘The Holocene has ended. The Garden of Eden is no more.
‘We have changed the world so much that scientists say we are in a new geological age.
‘We need to move beyond guilt or blame, and get on with the practical tasks at hand,’ as reported by The Guardian.
David Attenborough reacts after receiving a Crystal Award from German Hilde Schwab, Chairperson and Co-Founder of Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, during the Crystal Award Ceremony, on the eve prior the 49th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland
On a more optimistic note he said he thought humans could create a different world.
He added: ‘We can create a world with clean air and water, unlimited energy and fish stocks that will sustain us well into the future. But to do that, we need a plan.’
Sir David, who was given a Crystal Award for his leadership in environmental stewardship, outlined how UN decisions on climate change, sustainable development and a new deal for nature would shape the future.
‘What we do now and in the next few years will profoundly affect the next few thousand years,’ he added.
Sir David will take to the WEF stage again on Tuesday to be interviewed by the Duke of Cambridge.
William will discuss the urgent challenges facing the next generation of environmental leaders with Sir David, who he has described as having ‘the single most important impact in my conservation thinking’.