Prince Charles 'anxious' to push climate agenda before being king

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Prince Charles, 72, recently appeared in an extended interview with the BBC, notably expressing real sympathy with those wracked with climate anxiety – although he was careful not to praise the efforts of groups such as Insulate Britain in voicing environmental concerns. The New Zealand Herald’s Daniela Elser described her reaction to the interview.

She wrote: “Watching it, something crystallised for me.

“The royal family is in the midst of a stealthy rebirth, from plaque-unveiling professionals adept at making small talk with pensioners to engaged, dynamic leaders on issues including climate change, sexual assault and mental health.”

For Ms Elser, the interview was a lightbulb moment, where she realised that “somehow, without any fanfare, press releases or even a ceremonial 41-gun salute, the house of Windsor seems to have decided to mothball their century-old modus operandi.”

They had resolved to “jettison their centuries of combined ribbon-cutting expertise, and to emerge, chrysalis-like, as impassioned and vocal activists.”

This, she stated, is “a thrilling new version of what the monarchy can stand for and do.”

It was, in particular, a “new version” which Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “oh-so prematurely cut themselves off from.”

In the interview at Balmoral, Prince Charles said he understood what drives organisations like Extinction Rebellion to take action.

He then warned of the “catastrophic” consequences of failures to act on climate change.

Ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, next month, The Prince of Wales stressed that “the problem is to get action on the ground.”

He added: “All these young people feel nothing is ever happening so of course, they’re going to get frustrated. 

“I totally understand because nobody would listen and they see their future being totally destroyed.”

The Prince then divulged his fears that top business people continued to put environmental issues too low down their agendas.

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Young people, he told the BBC, are more aware of climate change and motivated to do something about it, but they “haven’t quite got to the top to make a fundamental difference.”

This comes as Meghan and Harry unveiled a move designed to show their own commitment to similar issues across the pond.

On Tuesday, they announced they have become “impact partners” and investors with Ethic, a New York-based sustainable investment firm.

Ethic looks at how companies and sectors do based on criteria such as racial justice and the climate.

Announcing the news on the Archewell website, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex began: “When we invest in each other we change the world…”

The statement read: “Be it through the investment of time (as with mentoring), investment in community (as with volunteering), or the investment of funds (for those who have the means to), our choices – of how and where we put our energy – define us as a global community.

On their own website, Ethic wrote that the couple “share a lot of values with us, and we suspect, with many of you as well.

“That’s why we’re so excited that they’re joining us as impact partners.”

They added that Meghan and Harry are “deeply committed to helping address the defining issues of our time – such as climate, gender equity, health, racial justice, human rights, and strengthening democracy – and understand that these issues are inherently interconnected.”

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