And he warned that failing to slow global warming will cause “social unrest”, with mass immigration from Africa and other parts of the world. “Dealing with problems means we’ve got to change our lifestyle,” he declared to the all-party business, energy and industrial strategy committee. He suggested “extraordinarily cheap” air travel should be made more expensive to reflect its impact on the environment. And he urged a scientific search for pollution-free energy, saying: “Power is streaming down on the Earth from the sun with no restrictions.” Businesses just have to find ways to store and transport it, he said.

Looking at his audience of middle-aged MPs Sir David, 93, said: “I’m okay for the next decade, all of us are okay, we won’t face the problems that are coming.”

But, he said, looking ahead “the problems of the next 30 years are great problems that are going to cause great social unrest and great changes in what we eat and how we live”.

He continued: “If world climate change goes on, it is going to be facing huge problems with immigration.

“Large parts of Africa are going to be even less inhabitable than they are now.”

He accepted that the UK’s record on tackling climate change “is pretty good”.

But he added: “Who started the problem? This country. It was the Industrial Revolution which started here – based on burning coal.”

Sir David also criticised the Trump administration for pulling out of the international Paris Agreement on climate change.

He said he was “sorry” there are people in power, “notably, of course, the US”, who are resisting tackling the issue.

His series Blue Planet II has been credited with changing attitudes worldwide to plastic pollution thanks to shocking footage of its impact on wildlife.

Sir David said: “To chuck plastic into the ocean is an insult”.

And regarding climate change, he said: “You can’t be radical enough in dealing with issues at the moment.”

He said: “The question is what is practically possible and how can we take the electorate with us.

“The electorate of tomorrow are already making their voices very clear – that’s a source of great comfort.”

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