Chris Packham criticizes world leaders for neglecting climate message from David Attenborough
Broadcaster Chris Packham has criticized world leaders for “forgetting” the crucial message delivered by Sir David Attenborough at COP26 in Glasgow regarding climate change, reports BritPanorama.
Packham, a self-described “pupil” of Attenborough, noted that the broadcasting legend felt after the summit that everyone “woke up the next morning and forgot” the message he conveyed to a packed audience in 2021, including then-US president Joe Biden.
The comments, made in the latest issue of The Big Issue, come as Sir David approaches his 100th birthday later this week.
What did Sir David say in his speech?
During the November 2021 COP26 summit, Attenborough urged world leaders to collaborate on reducing carbon emissions for the sake of future generations. “We are already in trouble. The stability we all depend on is breaking. This story is one of inequality, as well as instability,” he stated.
He highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on those who are least responsible for it, saying, “Today, those who have done the least to cause this problem are being the hardest hit. Ultimately, all of us will feel the impacts, some of which are now unavoidable.”
Attenborough emphasized that the most affected individuals by climate change are not some distant future generation, but young people alive today. Significant figures attending the summit included then-prime minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, and then-Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.
What is Chris Packham’s involvement?
Packham, also a wildlife documentarian, remarked in The Big Issue that world leaders exhibited “incredible stupidity and ignorance” in disregarding Sir David’s message. “There’s a real sense of sadness and injustice,” he added.
He stated, “When the world’s leading science communicator is given a platform like that and they tell the truth, it shows incredible stupidity and ignorance for world leaders to ignore him. It is a total failure in their duty.”
As Attenborough’s 100th birthday approaches on Friday, Packham reflected on the substantial legacy left by the man who has inspired a love for the natural world in millions of viewers globally. “No person in the entire history of our species has made such a significant contribution to engaging people and developing a love for all life on earth as David Attenborough,” he asserted.
What is planned to celebrate Sir David’s 100th birthday?
Scheduled celebrations include a birthday party at the Royal Albert Hall in London, featuring renowned broadcasters like Packham and Sir Michael Palin, hosted by Kirsty Young. The event will showcase musicians who have performed songs featured in Attenborough’s natural history documentaries, alongside clips from those films.
This special programme will air on Friday night at 8.30pm on BBC One. Additionally, two new shows, Secret Garden and Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure, are set to premiere this week.
