British royals unite on climate: joint message ahead of COP30

King Charles III and Crown Prince William made a joint public appearance to express their support for the COP30 climate summit, which will take place in Brazil in a few weeks. The event comes at a difficult time for climate diplomacy, marked by international budget cuts and increasing differences between world leaders. According to Reuters, the two members of the royal family attended the "Countdown to COP30: Mobilising Action for Climate and Nature” event, organized at the Natural History Museum in London, where they met with the Brazilian ambassador and visited an exhibition dedicated to British innovations in protecting the environment.

• A summit under the sign of uncertainty

The COP30 summit, organized under the auspices of the United Nations, aims to bring together political leaders, activists and business people to discuss concrete measures to combat climate change and ways to finance the green transition. However, the current geopolitical context raises many question marks. Budget cuts in major economies - especially in the United States - and growing resistance to the costs of green energy could diminish the conference's ambitions. "This edition of the COP may be one of caution, not progress," a European diplomat involved in the preparations told Reuters.

• Criticism and opposition to climate policies

Tensions over environmental policies are also reflected in international politics. Last month, US President Donald Trump called climate change "the biggest scam in the world" in his speech at the UN General Assembly. In the United Kingdom, the political opposition is taking a similar line. The Conservative Party leader has announced plans to increase oil and gas extraction in the North Sea, while the poll-leading Reform UK party has pledged to tax renewable energy and abandon its net-zero carbon emissions target. The positions create uncertainty ahead of the global summit, where international consensus is essential to agreeing on common measures.

• King Charles, a veteran of the environmental cause

King Charles III has long been considered a pioneer of environmental activism among European leaders. Long before the terms "sustainability” or "green transition” became popular, the current British monarch advocated protecting nature and reducing pollution. "For more than five decades, the King has used his unique position to promote sustainability, highlighting the fundamental connection between humanity and nature,” the Buckingham Palace press office said, quoted by Reuters. In a significant gesture, the Palace announced that the king will not attend COP30 in person, being represented by his son, Prince William.

• The heir to the throne, a new leader in the fight for the environment

Prince William has built his own identity in the field of environmental protection in recent years, especially through the Earthshot Prize initiative, launched in 2020. The project rewards innovative solutions to global ecological problems, and this year's ceremony will take place in Brazil, shortly before the COP30 summit. The participation of the heir to the throne at the conference is seen as a natural continuation of the British royal family's involvement in environmental issues, but also as an attempt to reaffirm the moral leadership of the United Kingdom in a period of international divisions.

The joint appearance of King Charles and Prince William sends a clear signal: the climate cause remains a priority for the British monarchy, even if political and financial support for the green transition is decreasing.

In a global context where consensus seems increasingly fragile, the symbolic voice of the British Crown could help maintain public attention on one of the most pressing crises of the 21st century.