THE PRINCE OF WALES AND THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL, AND THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE WILL ATTEND THE OPENING DAY OF COP26 GLASGOW
Monday, 1st November 2021
Engagement 1
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will attend the Opening Ceremony of COP26, hosted by the UK Prime Minister, in Glasgow, to welcome World Leaders to COP26.
The Prince of Wales will deliver opening remarks at the Ceremony.
The Prince of Wales delivered the opening address at the Opening Ceremony of COP21 in Paris in 2015.
For over 50 years, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has built a unique credibility by using his voice to advocate for action to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises including serving as Patron to dozens of environmental initiatives and organizations.
Over the decades, The Prince of Wales has launched a number of sustainability initiatives aimed at delivering practical outcomes. His Royal Highness launched the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) alongside a 10-point action plan at Davos in January 2020. The SMI is a network of global CEOs working together to build prosperous and sustainable economies that generate long-term value through the balanced integration of natural, social, human and financial capital. Read more: www.sustainable-markets.org
The Prince’s first speech on the issue was in February 1970 when he spoke of the problems of throwing away materials such as plastics, and how we could make conservation cost effective.
As the next Head of the Commonwealth, The Prince has also been convening the 54 leaders of the Commonwealth to ensure the views of developed and developing countries alike are heard.
Engagement 2
The Duchess of Cornwall will visit Wallacewell Primary School to meet pupils learning about sustainability and climate change.
Wallacewell Primary School is in Robroyston, the North East of Glasgow. It was built 14 years ago and is situated next to Robroyston Park.
Wallacewell Primary School ensure climate change and sustainability are a key focus of their learning and teaching. Pupil groups and classes have been looking at growing food, habitats (pollinating plants), litter picking and recycling. They have recently linked with Zero Waste Scotland to monitor food waste at lunch time.
Engagement 3
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will celebrate the Scouts #PromiseToThePlanet campaign.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Alexandra Park Sports Hub in Dennistoun to meet with Scouts from across the area and learn more about the Scouts’ #PromiseToThePlanet campaign.
Their Royal Highnesses will take part in activities that demonstrate how Scouting is helping to equip young people with the skills to tackle climate change. They will also learn how millions of Scouts across the globe have been contributing to the #PromiseToThePlanet campaign, raising awareness of the consequences of climate change and encouraging individual as well as collective action to address it.
The Duchess of Cambridge is Joint President of The Scout Association alongside The Duke of Kent.
Engagement 4
The Prince of Wales will co-host the Great Green Wall (GGW) session, alongside the President of France and the President of Mauritania.
The session will discuss The Restoration Agenda in Africa to 2030 and the case of the Great Green Wall Initiative.
The GGW is an African-led movement with an ambition to grow an 8,000km natural wonder of the world across the entire width of Africa. A decade in and roughly 18% underway, the initiative is already bringing life back to Africa’s degraded landscapes at an unprecedented scale, providing food security, jobs and a reason to stay for the millions who live along its path. The Wall is about Africa’s future, not its past.
Find out more about the Great Green Wall here.
Engagement 5
The Prince of Wales will join The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to host a reception for the key members of the Sustainable Markets Initiative and the Winners and Finalists of the first Earthshot Prize Awards.
The Sustainable Markets Initiative and The Earthshot Prize together demonstrate how innovation and a shift in market structures can lead to a more sustainable lifestyle. The Sustainable Markets Initiative brings together business leaders to collaborate and identify solutions that will help the transition to a sustainable future. The Earthshot Prize finds and scales sustainable solutions in their relative infancy.
This marks the first time the Sustainable Markets Initiative and The Earthshot Prize have come together in person. It will also mark the first time that many of The Earthshot Prize Winners and Finalists will meet each other, and Their Royal Highnesses.
Engagement 6
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will attend an Evening Reception to mark the opening day of COP26.
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will attend an Evening Reception to mark the opening day of COP26, which will bring together attending Heads of State and Government. Her Majesty The Queen will address the assembled delegates via a recorded message as part of the reception, as the Climate Change conference begins.