Polar Regions: Prince Albert II warns of the consequences of climate change

The Sovereign stressed the work carried out by his Foundation, in particular to preserve the poles.

On Wednesday 12 October, the American daily The Boston Globe published an article written by Prince Albert II on global warming and its consequences, not only at the poles but also in the rest of the world.

Entitled “The climate crisis in the polar regions doesn’t stay in the polar regions”, the article reminds us of the alarming speed at which climate change is causing the poles to deteriorate, but also the fight led by the Prince and his Foundation to mitigate its effects.

The Prince tells the story of how he visited the Lilliehook Glacier in the Arctic Ocean in 2005, which his great-great-grandfather, Prince Albert I, had visited 100 years earlier. The Sovereign explains that he was struck by the difference between what he saw and the pictures taken a century earlier, and why he decided to make the polar regions the main priority of his Foundation.

“What happens in the polar regions doesn’t stay in the polar regions,” writes the Sovereign. “It strikes the entire planet, knocking down our doors with dire consequences: rising sea levels; increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events; catastrophic droughts and floods; accelerating ocean acidification; disruption of ecosystems; and loss of biodiversity.”

After recalling that, according to a report by the IPCC, 600 million people will suffer the consequences of climate change by 2050, the Prince insisted on the new challenges of the 21st century: “a global approach is urgently needed, collectively and individually, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as they are the main cause of degradation for the polar regions, and consequently for the entire planet. (…) Not one foundation, not one country, not one individual or NGO can win this climate battle alone. (…) I am confident that together we can drive genuine societal changes and find the solutions for a sustainable future.”