Charles urges ‘action and commitment’ to combat environmental threats to planet

The King has called for “action, partnership and commitment” to combat the environmental threats the planet faces as he fulfilled a young activist’s wish and joined her in planting a tree.

Charles spoke about how he has seen the effects of a changing climate, from rising sea levels to wildfires, when he visited the United Nations Office in Nairobi to learn more about the organisation’s environment programme.

It has been announced that the King will give the opening address of Cop28, the United Nations climate summit being hosted by the United Arab Emirates later this year.

He later visited Karura Forest, where he planted an Elgon teak sapling with 10-year-old environmental activist Karen Kimani, who told him “we need a clean environment, free from pollution”.

The schoolgirl had written to Charles, asking if she could plant a tree with him but never expected to meet the British monarch.

In his speech to UN staff at their Nairobi offices, the King said: “As we look ahead to Cop28 in another month’s time, we must remember what (Kenya’s) President (William) Ruto said at the Africa Climate Summit – ‘We go far when we go together’.”

Charles has been speaking out about environmental threats to the planet since he was young man and, when Prince of Wales, actively campaigned to raise awareness about the issue.

He told the guests: “Wildfires have left countless acres bereft of the healthy forests that sustain our planet and our livelihoods, and cyclones and floods continue to devastate both farms and cities.

“It is particularly heart-breaking to know that, in the Horn of Africa alone, tens of millions of people face severe hunger and drought.

“As I am sure the many experts in this room know only too well, left unchecked, global warming, biodiversity loss and climate change are challenges which threaten us all and can only be met by the whole of society working together in the spirit of action, partnership and commitment.”

After planting the sapling with the King, young activist Karen said: “I’m very excited and happy – this was my wish. I didn’t expect him to come.

“My mum got an email that said ‘The King is coming’ and I thought ‘Oh wow, what is this about?’. Then I heard he was coming to plant the tree.

“I decided to write a letter to the King because I wanted to let him know that children need their voices to be heard.”

Charles also teamed up with world-renowned Kenyan marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge to launch a 15km Run For Nature through the forest, taking the starting flag from the athlete and setting the youngsters on their way.

Karura Forest is one of Kenya’s most popular attractions, welcoming 70,000 visitors a month to an area that is being reforested, and has a successful scheme to rewild the canopy with Colobus monkeys.

Kipchoge, the reigning Olympic marathon champion, said: “It was a great honour to start the race with the King.

“These young runners are important because it’s the next generation.”