Tag: PRINCE WILLIAM

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Prince William warns of ‘future threats’ in speech to RAF

The Prince of Wales spoke at a graduation ceremony for more than 50 officers who have completed their training at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in Lincolnshire, reports Asian Lite news

Prince William has told RAF officers the UK will be relying on them to deal with “future threats” during what he called a “time of change and uncertainty”.

The Prince of Wales spoke at a graduation ceremony for more than 50 officers who have completed their training at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in Lincolnshire.

William was also joined by his mother’s sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale – an unusual appearance since members of the Spencer family do not normally attend royal engagements. The prince trained at RAF Cranwell, where he flew solo for the first time and later received his wings from his father during a ceremony there in 2008.

He remained in the RAF for much of his active military career, going on to fly as a helicopter pilot. In his speech to officers, William said: “We live in a time of change and uncertainty, and you, as the future of the Royal Air Force, are the ones who will ensure that we are able to adapt and face future threats.”

The Prince of Wales attends the Sovereign’s Parade, on behalf of King Charles III, at the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell, Lincolnshire. Picture date: Thursday September 12, 2024.

During the graduation, where he was representing his father at the Sovereign’s Parade, he acknowledged the royal salute of the officers who spent up to 24 weeks undergoing strenuous military training. The prince, who wore his RAF uniform and was still sporting his summer beard first seen in August, spoke about the roles the officers will play “in supporting the futures of your countries’ air forces”.

“I say ‘your countries’, as I know that in addition to our newest Royal Air Force officers on parade today, there are also officers from Jordan, Kenya, Pakistan and Uganda,” he said.

“Multi-national relationships are key to international defence, security, and peace.”

Last month Lady Sarah – one of Diana, Princess of Wales’, siblings – attended the funeral of the late husband of her sister Lady Jane Fellowes. William and his estranged brother the Duke of Sussex also attended the service but did not talk to each other, according to reports.

Earlier in the week William spoke about his previous military career and love of helicopters. As patron of Wales Air Ambulance, he visited the charity’s headquarters in Llanelli in honour of Air Ambulance Week. The former RAF search and rescue pilot also served with the East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017.

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Prince William may ditch Church of England role

Pakistan, Oct 15 (ANI): Prince William, Duke of Cambridge arrives at National Monument by an auto-rickshaw in Islamabad on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

The news portal reported that Prince William attended a Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene in Sandringham alongside his wife, Kate Middleton, and their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5…reports Asian Lite News

A new biography claims Prince William, heir to the throne, might break tradition by severing ties with the Church of England when he becomes king. Biographer Robert Hardman quotes palace insiders saying William isn’t as devout as some might assume, making him potentially the first monarch in 500 years not to be the church’s head, according to a report by the New York Post.

While the book hasn’t hit shelves yet, it’s already stirring debate about whether the future King will usher in a new era for the British monarchy and its religious role.

“In royal circles, it is no secret that he does not share the king’s sense of the spiritual, let alone the late queen’s unshakeable devotion to the Anglican church,” Hardman, 59, writes of William in “The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy.”

“His father is very spiritual and happy to talk about faith, but the prince is not,” the official told Hardman. “He doesn’t go to church every Sunday, but neither does the large majority of the country. He might go at Christmas and Easter, but that’s it.”

“He very much respects the institutions, but he is not instinctively comfortable in a faith environment,” Hardman’s source alleges.

The news portal reported that Prince William attended a Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene in Sandringham alongside his wife, Kate Middleton, and their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.

In 1534, King Henry VIII of England decided that the country should have its own church, called the Church of England. This happened because the pope didn’t allow Henry to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. So, Henry created a new church where he could make his own rules. According to the law in Britain, whoever becomes the king or queen also becomes the leader of the Church of England.

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Prince William targets homelessness in Aberdeen

Known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, the prince has previously has said homelessness should not exist in a “modern and progressive society”…reports Asian Lite News

Prince William has visited Aberdeen as he launches a five-year campaign aimed at ending homelessness in the UK. The Prince of Wales’s charitable foundation is putting in £3m of funding in a bid to make homelessness “rare, brief and unrepeated”.

Aberdeen was the only Scottish leg of a two-day whistle-stop tour of the UK, which had begun on Monday. He visited Tillydrone Community Campus to learn about the work being done.

Speaking to a team of nurses working in a health unit set up at the facility, he said: “You guys have been chosen for a reason.

“You’ve got ambition, you’re doing amazing work and we want to help what you’re doing. It’s not just about a person sleeping in the street – support services are crucial.”

Known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, the prince has previously has said homelessness should not exist in a “modern and progressive society”.

Ahead of the launch, Prince William had discussed the project with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and the first ministers of Scotland and Wales.

It is a cause that is deeply personal to the prince, which he has linked to the influence of his mother, Princess Diana, who brought him to homelessness charities as a child.

There are believed to be more than 300,000 people currently homeless across the UK, which includes those who are in hostels and temporary accommodation, living in cars and sofa-surfing, as well as people who are sleeping rough.

Prince William’s plan is to bring together local coalitions of housing experts, charities and private industry to develop housing projects and support services, addressing different ways that homelessness occurs, whether in big cities or coastal towns.

In Aberdeen, the prince met Danni Jack – who described being “on the streets” for two months in 2022.

“It was definitely a rough one,” the 18-year-old said of being homeless. “I’d say a traumatic experience that taught me a lot. “I now know how to survive, and that through any hard days there are good ones to match. I feel like it definitely needs to be talked about a bit more. There’s a giant stigma around youth homelessness. It affected my life immensely. Because of my time on the streets, I didn’t pass college. I’m going back to do that this year and hopefully I’ll finally achieve the grade I never could.”

The campaign has published opinion polling from Ipsos of more than 3,000 adults in the UK, which suggests the level of public concern and support for an intervention.

Anti-monarchy group Republic said homelessness was about government policy and investment and would not be “resolved by charity or royal patronage”. However, Kensington Palace said it was about the prince using his public platform to make a positive difference.

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Prince William answers phone at Indian restaurant

The royals besides taking the booking also helped out in preparing dishes in the restaurant’s kitchen before continuing their visit in the city with a game of darts at an underground bar…reports Asian Lite News

Britain’s Prince William helped out at a family-run Indian Restaurant during a royal visit on Thursday by taking a phone reservation from an unsuspecting customer, Reuters reported.

The future UK King, his wife Kate were visiting the family-run Indian Streatery during their trip to Birmingham in central England when he took the call from someone seeking a booking for two people. Prince William then checked with the owners as to the restaurant’s location, and discussed with the caller about when a table was free and whether they would have time to eat before catching their train, according to Reuters.

The Prince while concluding the conversation said, “What name is it under? See you at quarter past two.”

He didn’t reveal his own name to the caller.

William’s office later said on Twitter: “Hope we told this customer to come to the right place…!”

The royals besides taking the booking also helped out in preparing dishes in the restaurant’s kitchen before continuing their visit in the city with a game of darts at an underground bar.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry admitted in his memoir that he was in a bad place after the Palace stopped him from being an on-ground solider. Writing in ‘Spare’, Prince Harry said that at that time he talked to his brother Prince William.

“I talked it over with Willy. He had complicated feelings as well. He sympathized, as a soldier. But as a sibling? A highly competitive older brother? He couldn’t bring himself to totally regret this turn of events,” Prince Harry said.

Targeting Prince William for keeping a tab on him, Prince Harry continued, “Most of the time Willy and I didn’t have any truck with all that Heir-Spare nonsense. But now and then I’d be brought up short and realize that on some level it really did matter to him. Professionally, personally, he cared where I stood, what I was doing.”

This comes as Tom Parker Bowles, son of King Charles’ second wife Queen Consort Camilla, hit back at Prince Harry’s claim that his mother played an “end game” to become Queen.

“I think change happens but I don’t care what anyone says – this wasn’t any sort of end game. She married the person she loved and this is what happened,” he said.

“I think anyone would be anxious on an occasion of this sort of importance in terms of the historical. And yes, I think I’d be terrified if I had to sort of walk out wearing ancient robes. She’s 75, but you know, it’s tough to do it. But she’s never complained. You just do it. Get on with it,” he added.

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Royals in US spotlight as William and Kate visit

The last time they visited the United States in November 2014, they were guests of then-President Barack Obama at the White House…reports Asian Lite News

Prince William and his wife Kate fly out to the United States on Wednesday for their first visit for eight years, as an intense media spotlight on the British royal family and the sons of King Charles shifts across the Atlantic.

The US trip will be the new Prince and Princess of Wales’ first overseas excursion since the death of Queen Elizabeth, which meant William – Charles’s eldest son – became the heir to the throne.

The visit has gained added significance as it comes a few days before William’s Los Angeles-based younger brother Prince Harry and American wife Meghan take the limelight at a prestigious awards ceremony ahead of a Netflix TV documentary and revealing memoir.

For royal commentators and many in the British press, it will be a chance to contrast the popularity and lives of the two brothers, whose falling out, along with Harry and Meghan’s criticism of the monarchy, has become one of the defining stories of the House of Windsor in recent years.

“The royal family are a competitive bunch, they always have been and always will be,” royal biographer Andrew Morton told Reuters.

“Prince William is the future king, Prince Harry no longer has a royal role. But nonetheless, they will be looking at the optics to see who had the biggest crowds, who had the most column inches and if they tell you otherwise, don’t believe them.”

William and Kate will visit Boston, primarily to attend an awards ceremony for the Earthshot environmental prize which the prince set up. It is being viewed by the royals as a trip rather than a more traditional tour.

The last time they visited the United States in November 2014, they were guests of then-President Barack Obama at the White House.

This visit will be lower key: they will visit local environmental, educational and community projects in Boston, although the Earthshot ceremony itself will be a star-studded event with the likes of Grammy-winning singer Billie Eilish and Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek.

“Our number one focus… is the Earthshot Prize and we won’t be distracted by other things,” a source close to William said.

The drama surrounding the Windsors will also draw in America’s most famous political family, the Kennedys.

During their three-day stay, William, 40, and Kate, 40, will visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum where they will meet Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the former president and now U.S. Ambassador to Australia.

A few days later, Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will go to New York for the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award where they will be honoured for their commitment to social change and human rights work, in a group which also includes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

For many in the British press, Harry and Meghan have become the royal villains, turning their back on duty while using their royal status to forge out lucrative careers and earn millions, including from an upcoming Netflix documentary series.

The involvement with Netflix has been especially criticised because of the depiction of events about the royals in the U.S. streaming service’s popular drama “The Crown”, most notably surrounding Charles and the break-up of his first marriage to Princess Diana – William and Harry’s late mother.

In contrast, William and Kate are portrayed in the British media as dutiful and earnest, encapsulating the style of monarchy set by the late queen.

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Queen was with me at happiest and saddest times: William

Prince William termed the passing away of the Queen as an unreal day for him, reports Asian Lite News

William, the Prince of Wales, on Saturday wrote a heartfelt message over the demise of his “Grannie”, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Recalling the cherished memories with his grannie, Prince William expressed gratitude towards the Queen’s wisdom and reassurance. Prince also reminisced his grannie’s fond memories while thanking her for 20 years of guidance and support to the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton.

“While I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. My wife has had 20 years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives. She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life.”

“On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign. I, however, have lost a grandmother,” he added.

He termed the passing away of the Queen as an unreal day for him. “I knew this day would come, but it will be sometime before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real,” the Prince of Wales tweeted.

“My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen. I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.”

A portrait of the Queen Elizabeth II with the next three heirs — Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George — to the throne was released to mark the start of the new decade.

Prince William also admired the Queen for her life-long devotion and service to the nation. “I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me. And I thank her on behalf of my generation for providing an example of service and dignity in public life that was from a different age, but always relevant to us all.”

After King Charles III took the throne as the new monarch of England on Saturday after his mother Queen Elizabeth II passed away, a second Proclamation following the principal proclamation was read in the City of London, at the Royal Exchange.

The second proclamation has been made at the Royal Exchange in London as thousands gathered to witness history in the making. State trumpeters sounded a fanfare, as crowds fell into silence to hear the announcement.

As is convention further Proclamations will be read in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at 1200 hours the following day on Sunday, September 11. In recognition of the new Sovereign, flags are flown at full mast from the time of the Principal Proclamation at St James’s Palace until one hour after the Proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, after which flags will return to half-mast in mourning for the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

King Charles III was proclaimed as the new monarch of England after his mother Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday. King Charles Philip Arthur George paid tribute to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and spoke of the “great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of Sovereignty.”

“I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of Sovereignty which have now passed to me. In taking up these responsibilities, I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set in upholding constitutional government and to seek the peace, harmony and prosperity of the peoples of these Islands and of the Commonwealth Realms and Territories throughout the world,” King said soon after being proclaimed Britain’s new monarch at the Accession Council at St James’s Palace in London.

Dressed in a formal black tuxedo, Charles, 73, has been proclaimed the new King of England. With the new development, his wife Camilla Parker Bowles will now be England’s Queen consort.

On Friday, Charles, the longest heir to the throne, and Camilla arrived at Buckingham Palace in London and met mourners, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Buckingham Palace was swarmed with waves of mourners held back by barriers as Charles met the crowds.

The royal dignitary received a warm reception as he passed the crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace. Charles was offered bouquets of flowers and even a kiss on the cheek as he shook hands with those who had gathered to see him arrive.

He was by his mother’s side at her beloved Scottish Highlands home as her health deteriorated, and returned to the capital to hold his first audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Born on November 14, 1948, he was the first child of Elizabeth and Philip, then the princess and prince. At the age of 19, he formally became the Prince of Wales on July 1, 1969.

He married Lady Diana Spencer on July 29, 1981, and became the first royal heir since 1660 to marry an English woman. In August 1996, Diana and Charles went their separate ways and got legally divorced.

After Diana’s demise in a car accident, Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in April 2005. Soon, the couple got the royal title of Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. (ANI)

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Royal strain between William and Harry  

As William has turned 40, the elder brother has embraced the royal establishment and taken on more duties, while the younger “spare” prince, aged 37, has rejected traditions for a life in California…reports Asian Lite News

A quarter-century on from the death of their mother, Princess Diana, Princes William and Harry are struggling to maintain their once-close relationship.

“Harry and Wills are barely on speaking terms after Megxit,” The Sun tabloid reported this month, referring to Harry and wife Meghan Markle’s decision to quit frontline royal roles in 2020 and move to the United States.

As William has turned 40, the elder brother has embraced the royal establishment and taken on more duties, while the younger “spare” prince, aged 37, has rejected traditions for a life in California.

“I suspect… that rift is very deep,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail.

Things used to be so different.

After Diana died from car crash injuries at 36, the boys touched the world walking behind her coffin. William was 15 while Harry was just 12.

Both attended Eton boarding school and Harry pursued military training, while William went to university.

They appeared to share a close bond as William married long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton in 2011 and started a family.

“This idyllic sort of brotherly relationship that they projected… did much to put the monarchy back on track,” royal historian and author Ed Owens said.

But following Harry’s 2018 marriage to Meghan, relations have become strained.

He told a 2019 interview that he and his brother were “on different paths”. A year later, Harry and Meghan sensationally announced their move to the US.

The couple’s subsequent explosive Oprah Winfrey interview in March 2021 saw Meghan publicly claim Kate had made her cry.

The most damaging claim, however, was that an unnamed royal had speculated about the skin colour of mixed-race Meghan’s future child.

William reacted later by telling a journalist that the royals were “very much not” a racist family.

No interaction

Both brothers have an enduring dislike for Britain’s tabloid press after their mother’s death.

Harry told Winfrey he left the UK to prevent “history repeating itself”, likening Meghan’s treatment by reporters and photographers to Diana’s hounding.

But their shared disdain for large parts of the media has done little to unite them during their current estrangement.

They appeared to barely speak to each other as they jointly unveiled a statue of their mother outside Kensington Palace in July 2021.

During Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022, they sat far apart at a church service.

The Daily Telegraph wrote that “there has been no interaction whatsoever”, citing William’s grievances over the Oprah interview.

Harry and Meghan are set to visit the UK again in September — just three months since their last visit — when they will stay on the queen’s Windsor estate, close to William’s new family home there.

But British newspapers say there are no plans for the brothers to meet.

Former royal correspondent Robert Hardman raised the possibility of reconciliation, however.

“Obviously they are estranged but they are brothers, this is a family,” the author of this year’s “Queen of Our Times: The Life of Queen Elizabeth II” said.

He praised Harry and Meghan’s “dignified role” when they came back to Britain for the Jubilee and visited the queen.

“To me, that looks like a move towards semi-regular trips back to the UK,” he said.

“And each time that happens, things just gradually become less fraught.”

‘Anxiety’ at memoir

Much could still depend on a ghost-written memoir from Harry, set for publication later this year.

The Telegraph reported that this is “causing some anxiety” among royals who fear it could be used “to settle scores and make further sensational claims”.

“The book is going to be very explosive,” said Hardman.

“I expect it to be extremely harsh on the media, fairly harsh on the palace establishment.

“I’d be very surprised if he starts making family relations any worse,” he added, in contrast to much of the speculation.

Another royal expert, Phil Dampier, is more pessimistic.

“I can’t see any chance of a reconciliation between the #Sussexes and the #Cambridges until Harry’s book is out of the way. And it’s likely to make things worse!” he tweeted.

Opinions differ on whether the royal family need Harry.

“No one person is bigger than the institution, so the monarchy will carry on with or without them. They’re not essential,” Hardman said of Harry and Meghan.

But Owens argued Harry’s exit has “deprived the monarchy of one of its saviours… the informal royal” who is “more down to earth, much more tactile”.

“I do think at a certain point, they’re going to need Harry back,” royal author Tina Brown told The Guardian, calling him “an asset” who could relieve pressure on William and Kate.

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Inaugural Winners of William’s Earthshot Prize Announced

The Earthshot Prize will travel to the United States in 2022, reports Asian Lite News

The inaugural five winners of Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, which is a Nobel-like award for the environment founded by the Duke of Cambridge and renowned British naturalist David Attenborough, were announced on Sunday at a glittering awards ceremony at London’s Alexandra Palace.

Earthshot Prize is meant to inspire innovative solutions to the most pressing environmental challenges currently being faced by the planet, its event, has been described by the Kensington Palace as “the most sustainable event of its kind,” reported CNN.

In ‘Protect and Restore Nature’ category, the Republic of Costa Rica won the prize.

Costa Rica was a country that once cleared most of its forests, but it has now doubled the number of trees and is seen as a role model for others to follow. The winning project is a scheme paying local citizens to restore natural ecosystems that has led to a revival of the rainforest, the BBC reported.

Takachar, India won the prize in ‘Clean our Air’ category. Takachar created a portable machine to turn agricultural waste into fertiliser so that farmers do not burn their fields and cause air pollution.

A project run by two best friends who are growing coral in the Bahamas, designed to restore the world’s dying coral reefs won the Earthshot prize in ‘Revive our Oceans’ category.

Coral Vita, Bahamas, using special tanks, have developed a way to grow coral up to 50 times faster than they normally take in nature.

The City of Milan Food Waste Hubs, Italy won the prize in ‘Build a Waste-Free World.’ It collected unused food and giving it to people who need it most. The initiative has dramatically cut waste while tackling hunger.

In ‘Fix our Climate’ category, AEM Electrolyser, Thailand/Germany/Italy bagged the prize. A clever design in Thailand using renewable energy to make hydrogen by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, it was reported.

Each of these five Winners received £1million prize money and a global network of professional and technical support to scale their remarkable environmental solutions to repair planet and accelerate their impact.

The ceremony capped a 10-month global search with over 750 nominations from around the world. 15 Finalists were chosen through a rigorous selection process.

Each Winner was awarded a beautiful, one-of-a-kind Prize medal, designed by award-winning Dutch artist Christien Meindertsma, inspired by the iconic ‘Earthrise’ photo taken of the Earth from space from the Apollo 8 mission in 1968 and created from recycled materials.

The Winners were connected to the Awards Ceremony by global broadcast, where The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined by Sir David Attenborough, Christiana Figueres, Dani Alves and a host of stars and performers including Ed Sheeran and Yemi Alade.

All 15 Finalists will receive tailored support from The Earthshot Prize Global Alliance, an unrivalled network of philanthropies, NGOs, and private sector businesses around the world who will help scale their solutions.

The Earthshot Prize will travel to the United States in 2022. Nominations for the 2022 Prize will open in January 2022.

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‘Save Earth Instead of Travelling to Space’

Prince William, who is second in line to the throne, said great brains and minds should be “trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live”, reports Asian Lite News

Duke of Cambridge, Prince William on Thursday slammed space tourism saying that entrepreneurs should focus on saving Earth rather than engaging in space tourism ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).

William, who is second in line to the throne, was speaking ahead of the inaugural Earthshot Prize awards ceremony on Sunday, his initiative to honour those working on environmental solutions.

William warned world leaders against “clever speak, clever words, but not enough action.”

He said great brains and minds should be “trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live”, the BBC reported.

He also warned about a rise in “climate anxiety” among younger generations. William spoke to the BBC’s Newscast ahead of the first Earthshot Prize to reward those trying to save the planet.

The prize’s name is a reference to the “moonshot” ambition of 1960s America, which saw then-President John F Kennedy pledge to get a man on the moon within a decade.

His remarks came a day after 90-year-old “Star Trek” star William Shatner became a real space traveller on Blue Origin´s second crewed mission.

Shatner has broken the record of aviation pioneer Wally Funk, who, at 83, became the oldest person to have ever flown to space. The booster and capsule of the fully automated and reusable New Shepard rocket landed separately, with the capsule landing in the west Texas desert with the help of parachutes within minutes of their launch to space.

The company´s maiden human flight in July had included its founder Jeff Bezos of Amazon and was seen as a breakthrough for the emerging space tourism sector.

Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, next month must be a turning point for climate action.

“COP26 must be a turning point if we are to fulfill the promise of the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, protect populations from the impacts of climate change and ensure that all financial flows are consistent with the goals of net-zero emissions and sustainable development,” he told the sixth ministerial meeting of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action, in a video message, Xinhua reported.

With COP26 fast approaching, he said, he remained genuinely concerned over the lack of progress on these priorities.

The political package that must be delivered in Glasgow needs to contain at least three key elements: emissions reduction, financing for climate action in developing countries, and climate adaptation, he said.

“First, we must swiftly close the emissions gap. That means national pledges must collectively put us on track to reduce emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. And each country must be ready to update its climate commitments until we collectively get on track to reach the 1.5-degree objective,” he said.

Second, developed countries must close the finance gap by providing and exceeding the promised $100 billion a year to developing countries for climate action, he said. “And this is just a starting point. Beyond that goal, all financial flows, public and private, must align with a net-zero emissions and resilient development pathway.”

Third, Glasgow must deliver a breakthrough on adaptation. Climate disruption is already here, affecting ever more lives and livelihoods every year, especially among the most vulnerable. Building resilience and adapting must be a priority for all, said Guterres.



“I ask each of you in your national capacity and as shareholders of national and multilateral development banks to consider allocating half of all public climate finance in support of developing countries for adaptation. And I ask that you reconsider how you calculate gross domestic product. Nature’s resources still do not figure in countries’ calculations of wealth. We need nature-based solutions for adaptation and mitigation. The current system is weighted toward destruction, not preservation. Governments must reflect nature’s true value in all policies, plans and economic systems,” he said.

As COVID-19 and climate change pose new and unique challenges to low- and middle-income countries, he asked the finance ministers to revise eligibility thresholds for official development assistance to improve access to finance for those countries.

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