Indígenas querem desculpas de Carlos III pelo genocídio e escravização

Organizações e líderes indígenas de 12 países da Commonwealth pediram ao rei Carlos III que peça desculpas pelo impacto da colonização britânica sobre os povos indígenas, que denunciam como genocídio, escravização e pilhagem.

"Apelamos ao monarca britânico, o rei Carlos III, no dia da sua coroação, 6 de maio de 2023, para que reconheça o terrível impacto e o legado do genocídio e da colonização dos povos indígenas e dos povos escravizados", afirmou, na rede social Facebook, o promotor da iniciativa, Nova Peris, antigo senador e copresidente do Movimento Republicano Australiano.

A petição insta o monarca a apresentar um pedido de desculpas formal, a reconhecer os atos de genocídio britânicos contra os povos indígenas e a repatriar os artefactos sagrados e os restos mortais dos povos indígenas que se encontram nos museus e instituições britânicos.

A carta, intitulada "Desculpas, reparações e repatriamento de artefactos e restos mortais", também recorda ao Rei Carlos III do Reino Unido as suas palavras numa reunião de chefes de governo da Commonwealth, em junho de 2022, no Ruanda, onde afirmou que era "tempo" de reconhecer os erros do passado.

Representantes de Antígua e Barbuda, Austrália, Bahamas, Belize, Canadá, Granada, Jamaica, Nova Zelândia, Papua Nova Guiné, São Cristóvão e Neves, Santa Lúcia e São Vicente e Granadinas - que têm Carlos III como chefe de Estado - assinam esta carta em que instam a Coroa a "redistribuir a riqueza" retirada aos povos originários.

Na carta pede-se a Carlos III que inicie "imediatamente" um diálogo sobre o "impacto duradouro da escravatura" dos povos indígenas durante a colonização britânica, bem como sobre outras questões como a reparação dos "povos oprimidos" cujos "recursos foram pilhados e a sua cultura denegrida".

Outra exigência é que o monarca renuncie à chamada "Doutrina dos Descobrimentos", como fez o Vaticano em março.

Esta doutrina, juntamente com o princípio da "Terra nullius" (terra de ninguém), gerou um conceito jurídico que protegia a colonização baseada no direito de requisitar as terras das populações indígenas.

Os signatários da carta a Carlos III consideram que o repúdio desta doutrina permitiria iniciar o processo de consulta e reparação entre os povos originários que foram vítimas de um genocídio em nome de Deus.

"Esperamos que esta petição dê início a um processo de justiça", sublinhou Nova Peris.

Carro de luxo do rei Carlos III funciona à base de ‘queijo’ e ‘vinho’

O Aston Martin DB6 1970 foi um presente que ele recebeu no seu aniversário de 21 anos e que agora anda com um combustível à base de vinho e queijo.

“O meu velho Aston Martin, que tenho há 51 anos, consegui converter. Agora funciona com resíduos. Você acredita nisso; ele funciona com o excedente de vinho branco inglês e soro de leite dos processos de queijo”, disse Carlos III à emissora britânica BBC, em 2021.

O combustível é chamado de E85, feito 85% de bioetanol proveniente de resíduo da vinificação de vinho branco e do soro do leite que seria dispensado da produção de queijo. O restante do produto é um derivado do petróleo sem chumbo, considerado mais limpo e mais eficaz.

A mudança faz parte dos esforços do Rei Carlos III de conscientização para a urgência das mudanças climáticas. Ele, que se diz um simpatizante da ativista Greta Thunberg, disse que a conversão do carro foi um pequeno passo perto do que o país pode fazer para evitar o que ele chamou de “catástrofe”.

Saber mais sobre o carro:

Green giant: Prince Charles and his eco-friendly DB6

Discurso do Príncipe Carlos em Davos, 2020

Ladies and gentlemen, I am most touched that Professor Klaus Schwab should have invited me to be with you as we mark the 50th anniversary of the World Economic Forum and its mission to “improve the state of the world”. It is this mission, and the urgent need to shape the next 50 years, that has inspired me to be with you here today, after an absence of 30 years I hate to tell you.
We are in the midst of a crisis that is now, I hope, well understood. Global warming, climate change, and the devastating loss of biodiversity are the greatest threats humanity has ever faced – and one largely of our own creation.
I have dedicated much of my life to the restoration of harmony between humanity, nature and the environment, and to the encouragement of corporate social and environmental responsibility. Quite frankly, it has been a bit of an uphill struggle. But, now, it is time to take it to the next level.
In order to secure our future and to prosper, we need to evolve our economic model. Having been engaged in these issues since I suppose 1968, when I made my first speech on the environment, and having talked to countless experts across the globe over those decades, I have come to realise that it is not a lack of capital that is holding us back, but rather the way in which we deploy it. Therefore, to move forward, we need nothing short of a paradigm shift, one that inspires action at revolutionary levels and pace. With this in mind, I am delighted to be launching a Sustainable Markets Initiative, with the generous support of the World Economic Forum.
For me, Sustainable Markets offer a new systems-level framework which ground markets in a higher purpose mission – in other words, putting people and planet at the heart of global value creation.
Sustainable markets generate long-term value through the balance of natural, social, human and financial capital. Systems-level change within sustainable markets is driven by consumer and investor demand, access to sustainable alternatives and an enhanced partnership between the public, private and philanthropic sectors. Sustainable markets can also inspire the technology, innovation and scale that we so urgently need.
The past decade has shown us just how quickly industry transformation can happen when you reimagine and re-engineer the business model – we need only look to mobile technology, electric vehicles, the space industry, e-commerce and online streaming for inspiration. Looking forward, new employment opportunities, entire new industries and markets rooted in sustainability are within our grasp, with the potential for unprecedented economic growth.
Changing our current trajectory will require bold and imaginative action, together with determination and decisive leadership. We all know the problem, and increasingly we agree on the direction. 2020 is the time for solutions and practical action. With our SDG [Sustainable Development Goals] and Paris commitments in mind – and the good news is that they are well within our reach if, ladies and gentlemen, we all pull together in a coordinated global initiative to tackle the greatest global threat – I would like to outline 10 practical actions that will drive forward the sustainable markets approach.
First of all: shifting our default setting to “sustainable”. For sustainable markets this means everyone in a leadership role putting genuine sustainability at the centre of our business models, our analysis, our decisions and our actions. In other words, put simply, we need to put nature, and the protection of nature’s capital – from which we draw an annual return – at the heart of how we operate. It also means further defining and developing the discipline and framework of sustainable markets and sustainable industries.
Second: outlining responsible transition pathways to decarbonise and move to net zero. It is time for businesses, industries and countries alike to design and implement how they will decarbonise and transition to net zero. Moving together, with clear roadmaps, will create efficiencies and economies of scale that will allow us to leapfrog our collective progress and accelerate our transition. A little competition in this area could go a long way.
Third: reimagining industries through the lens of sustainable markets. Using a sustainable markets framework, we have an incredible opportunity to create entirely new sustainable industries, products, services and supply chains, based on a circular bioeconomy, while in parallel helping to transition our existing systems. To do this we must look at our markets using a business model approach to revenue generation and system operations.
Fourth: identifying game-changers and barriers to transition. We need to identify, showcase and invest in the game-changing technologies and solutions that are emerging around the world. To accelerate, we must also identify the barriers to progress, be it policy, regulation, infrastructure, investment or the wider enabling environment. Often, I have found, it is simply about bringing the right people together to help lift those roadblocks out of the way. This convening role is, I hope, at least one practical contribution my Sustainable Markets Initiative can make. Because it is only by seeking out these game-changers and barriers that we will be able to make tangible progress.
Fifth: reversing perverse subsidies and improving incentives for sustainable alternatives. To achieve scale within sustainable markets we must not be afraid to adapt our long-standing incentive structures if we are to reap the benefits afforded by a more sustainable world. Re-orientating economic subsidies, financial incentives and regulations can have a dramatic and transformative effect on our market systems. It is time to level the playing field and to think about how we properly deploy taxes, policies and regulation in a way that catalyses sustainable markets. For instance, for many years I have tried to encourage the adoption of the “polluter pays” principle in order to provide the necessary incentives. Public policy, therefore, has a critical role to play.
Sixth: investing in STEM, innovation and R and D [research and development]. Whether it is AI (where that does not seek to challenge or replace unique human characteristics and intuition), or indeed nuclear fusion, 3D printing, energy storage, electric transportation, carbon capture, renewables or biotech. We are on the verge of catalytic breakthroughs that will alter our view of what is possible – and profitable – within the framework of a sustainable future. To move forward, we must acknowledge that sustainability and profitability are no longer mutually exclusive. Effective solutions must ensure that sustainable technologies and alternatives are competitively priced.
Seventh: investing in nature as the true engine of our economy. Beyond major innovations and technologies, we must also look to invest in nature-based solutions in sectors like agriculture, forestry and fisheries – indeed, for all the resources that we take from the Earth. Nature’s contribution to the global economy is estimated to be worth more than $125 trillion annually –greater than the entire world’s annual GDP, estimated at $85.91 trillion in 2018. Building conservation and nature-based solutions into our asset base and supply chains can, therefore, offer significant economic growth opportunities for countries and businesses alike – including in areas such as the circular bioeconomy, ecotourism and green public infrastructure. If, ladies and gentlemen, we valued our natural capital properly (as I have been trying to say for quite a long time), our national and individual balance sheets might look very different indeed!
Eighth: adopting common metrics and standards. An increasing number of corporations are adopting ESG [environment, social and governance] methodologies and highlighting their SDG-aligned investments. However, it is time to move to unified metrics and global standards. People want to trust that the goods and services they buy are socially, environmentally and ethically produced. Through new technologies we have the ability to tag, track and trace supply chains in unprecedented ways – so it is time to make this level of supply chain transparency the norm.
Ninth: making the sustainable options the trusted and attainable options for consumers. With consumers controlling an estimated 60 per cent of global GDP, people around the world have the power to drive the transformation to sustainable markets. Yet, we cannot expect consumers to make sustainable choices if these choices are not clearly laid before them. As consumers increasingly demand sustainable products, they deserve to be told more about product lifecycles, supply chains and production methods. For a transition to take place, being socially and environmentally conscious cannot only be for those who can afford it. If all the true costs are taken into account, being socially and environmentally responsible should be the least expensive option because it leaves the smallest footprint behind. We must communicate better with consumers about the sustainability of the goods, services and investments we offer.
Tenth: connecting investments to investables using platforms that can rapidly scale solutions. On every pressing issue we face, there are solutions that are not just available, but increasingly cost effective. At the same time there are trillions of dollars in sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurance, and asset portfolios looking for investible and sustainable projects with good long-term value and rates of return. It is time to align sustainable solutions with funding in a way that can transform the market place. This requires not only showcasing high potential investments, but that we reimagine financial analysis, structuring and models of return.
Now if we all accept that a profitable, yet sustainable, future is the desired end state – the questions we must ask are: How quickly can we get there and who are the leaders who will drive us forward?
I submit that we are, in fact, far further ahead than we might think, making it critical that we leverage the vital work already underway. I would therefore like to highlight just a few examples to demonstrate that in nearly every industry we are seeing progress that we can build on.
To start with, despite great efforts over the past 35 years, I have found that we could never convince financial and capital markets of the overwhelming need to invest in ways that truly benefit people and planet. Yet, in the last two or three years, we have seen a dramatic increase in sustainable investing. Investment managers frequently tell me that the demand for these investments far outstrip supply. At the same time, returns on sustainable investments are increasingly out-performing traditional portfolios.
In the financial sector, many central banks and financial institutions have committed to integrating climate risk into stress-testing, supervision and disclosure. With this progress there are now growing calls from financial institutions and companies alike to make disclosure mandatory.
In aviation, there are opportunities to develop commercially viable, hydrogen-powered and electric aircraft within the decade. In the interim, many in the industry are ready to adopt Sustainable Aviation Fuel made from waste material that can reduce carbon emissions - starting today.
After all, ladies and gentlemen, do we want to go down in history as the people who did nothing to bring the world back from the brink in time to restore the balance when we could have done? I don’t want to.
In shipping, the manufacturers of ship engines are proposing it may take two to three years to build engines that run on green ammonia and methanol made from solar and wind power. These ships could start operations in the middle of the decade and become the norm around 2030. This hasn’t all been certified and tested, but if the industry and the regulators make a real effort, we can make it work – creating a real tipping point.
In renewable energy, we are witnessing breakthroughs in the cost of solar that have the potential to revolutionise almost every industry. We are rapidly approaching a time when renewable energy will be an order of magnitude cheaper than fossil fuels.
In carbon capture and storage, there are a growing number of initiatives that might just buy us vital time as we make our transition to sustainable markets and a net zero economy.
In forestry, ladies and gentlemen, we can now transform wood, the most versatile natural material on the planet, into a new generation of wood-based products capable of offering alternatives to plastics, chemicals, textiles, transport and construction. Increasingly, we are seeing that the bioeconomy has the potential to ignite new industries and fuel sustainable markets – thus providing, at last, the economic incentive to value the vastly important eco-system services provided by the immense biodiversity and carbon-capture potential of restored and expanded forests, along with huge opportunities in integrated agro-forestry systems.
When the right sustainable goods and services are developed, proved and affordable, the choice to adopt them will become obvious. Truly to seize these opportunities, we need to visualise the future and have the confidence to invest in it.
If there is one critical lesson we have to learn from this crisis it is that nature, ladies and gentlemen, is not a separate asset class. Nature is, in fact, the life blood of our financial markets and, as such, we must – rapidly – re-align our own economy to mimic nature’s economy and work in harmony with it.
After nearly 50 years of trying to champion this cause, I cannot help but feel that, finally, we are ready to change our trajectory.
For my part, I have made Sustainable Markets my priority for 2020 and actually beyond – for however long it takes. I have instructed my teams and my organisations similarly to align with this effort – and I expect them to contribute. With the stakes this high, I would challenge you to do the same.
And, critically, we must foster innovation - and here, if you will allow me, I would like to acknowledge the new Earthshot initiative of my son, The Duke of Cambridge, which seems to me to extol the sort of horizon-lifting approach we need in order to give us hope.
Beginning here at Davos, and throughout the year – and in order to identify game-changers, investments and barriers to transition - I will be convening a broad range of industry and issue roundtables including, but not limited to: aviation; water; carbon capture and storage; shipping; forestry; plastics; financing; digital technology; the bioeconomy; nature-based solutions; renewable energy; batteries, storage and electric vehicles; fisheries; integrated healthcare; cement; steel; traceability and labelling; and agriculture – at the end of which I shall probably be dead. So ladies and gentlemen, as we look to design and create sustainable markets and industries, these roundtables will bring together system innovators, investors and decision-makers to start designing and charting the course.
I believe profoundly in the critical importance, at this juncture, of forming an unprecedented global alliance of investors which can genuinely mobilise the kind of trillions of dollars needed to put our economy on the correct path. This would be the most dramatic act of responsible leadership ever seen by the global private sector and would at once provide a catalytic incentive for the public sector to follow.
With 2020 being seen as the “super year”, kick-starting a decade of action for people and planet, there is also an opportunity to bring sustainable markets into focus in each of this year’s major global meetings. While it will be a bit of a challenge for me to get to them all, I intend to do my utmost to ensure that the message of urgency, systemic change, collaboration and integration is heard.
After all, ladies and gentlemen, do we want to go down in history as the people who did nothing to bring the world back from the brink in time to restore the balance when we could have done? I don’t want to. And just think for a moment – what good is all the extra wealth in the world, gained from “business as usual”, if you can do nothing with it except watch it burn in catastrophic conditions?
This is why I need your help, your ingenuity and your practical skills to ensure that the private sector leads the world out of the approaching catastrophe into which we have engineered ourselves.
It is my greatest possible hope that you will join me this year in accelerating the transition to sustainable markets and rapid decarbonisation – ladies and gentlemen, you all have a seat at the table as this must be the year that we put ourselves on the right track.
Everything I have tried to do, and urge, over the past 50 years has been done with our children and grandchildren in mind, because I did not want to be accused by them of doing nothing except prevaricate and deny the problem. Now, of course, they are accusing us of exactly that. Put yourselves in their position, ladies and gentlemen. We simply cannot waste any more time – the only limit is our willingness to act, and the time to act is now.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

Prince Charles Speaks at World Leaders Event: Action on Forests & Land-use

Your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us just how devastating a global cross border threat can be. Climate change and biodiversity loss are no different. In fact, they pose an even greater existential threat to the extent that we have to put ourselves on what might be called a war like footing. Having myself had the opportunity of consulting many of you over these past 18 months, I know you all carry a heavy burden on your shoulders and you do not need me to tell you that the eyes and hopes of the world are upon you to act with all dispatch and decisively because time has quite literally run out. The recent IPCC Report gave us a clear diagnosis of a scale of the problem. We know what we must do. With a growing global population creating ever increasing demand on the planet’s finite resources, we have to reduce emissions urgently and take action to tackle the carbon already in the atmosphere, including from coal fired power stations.

Prince Charles: (01:27)

Putting a value on carbon, thus making carbon capture solutions more economical, is therefore absolutely critical. Similarly, after billions of years of evolution, nature is our best teacher. In this regard, restoring natural capital, accelerating nature based solutions, and leveraging the circular bio economy will be vital to our efforts. As we tackle this crisis, our efforts cannot be a series of independent initiatives running in parallel. The scale and scope of the threat we face call for a global systems level solution based on radically transforming our current fossil fuel based economy to one that is genuinely renewable and sustainable. So ladies and gentleman, my plea today is for countries to come together to create the environment that enables every sector of industry to take the action required. We know this will take trillions, not billions of dollars.

Prince Charles: (02:40)

We also know that countries, many of whom are burdened by growing levels of debt, simply cannot afford to go green. Here we need a vast military style campaign to marsh the strength of the global private sector, with trillions at his disposal far beyond global GDP, and with the greatest respect, beyond even the governments of the world’s leaders. It offers the only real prospect of achieving fundamental economic transition. So how do we do it? First, how do we get the private sector all pulling in the same direction? After nearly two years now of consultation, CEOs have told me that we need to bring together global industries to map out in very practical terms what it will take to make the transition. We know from the pandemic that the private sector can speed up timelines dramatically when everyone agrees on the urgency and the direction. So each sector needs a clear strategy to speed up the process of getting innovations to market.

Prince Charles: (03:58)

Second, who pays and how? We need to align private investment behind these industry strategies to help finance the transition efforts, which means building the confidence of investors so that the financial risk is reduced. Crucially, investment is needed to help transition from coal to clean energy. If we can develop a pipeline of many more sustainable and bankable projects at a sufficient scale, it will attract greater investment. Third, which switches do we flick to enable these objectives? More than 300 of the world’s leading CEOs and institutional investors have told me that alongside the promises countries have made, their nationally determined contributions, they need clear market signals, agree globally so that they have the confidence to invest without the goal posts suddenly moving. This is the framework I’ve offered in the Terra Carta Roadmap, created by my Sustainable Markets Initiative, with nearly 100 specific actions for acceleration.

Prince Charles: (05:23)

Together, we are working to drive trillions of dollars in support of transition across 10 of the most emitting and polluting industries. They include energy, agriculture, transportation, health systems, and fashion. The reality of today’s global supply chains means that industry transition will affect every country and every producer in the world. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the private sector is ready to play its part and to work with governments to find a way forward. Your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, many of your countries I know are already feeling the devastating impact of climate change through ever increasing droughts, mudslides, floods, hurricanes, cyclones, and wildfires, as we’ve just seen on that terrifying film.

Prince Charles: (06:26)

Any leader who has had to confront such life threatening challenges knows that the cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of prevention. So I could only urge you as the world’s decision makers to find practical ways of overcoming differences so we can all get down to work together to rescue this precious planet and save the threatened future of our young people. Thank you.

The Queen’s speech at the COP26

Thank you, Prime Minister Holness, for your kind words of introduction.
I am delighted to welcome you all to the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference; and it is perhaps fitting that you have come together in Glasgow, once a heartland of the industrial revolution, but now a place to address climate change.
This is a duty I am especially happy to discharge, as the impact of the environment on human progress was a subject close to the heart of my dear late husband, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.
I remember well that in 1969, he told an academic gathering:
“If the world pollution situation is not critical at the moment, it is as certain as anything can be, that the situation will become increasingly intolerable within a very short time … If we fail to cope with this challenge, all the other problems will pale into insignificance.”
It is a source of great pride to me that the leading role my husband played in encouraging people to protect our fragile planet, lives on through the work of our eldest son Charles and his eldest son William. I could not be more proud of them.
Indeed, I have drawn great comfort and inspiration from the relentless enthusiasm of people of all ages – especially the young – in calling for everyone to play their part.
In the coming days, the world has the chance to join in the shared objective of creating a safer, stabler future for our people and for the planet on which we depend.
None of us underestimates the challenges ahead: but history has shown that when nations come together in common cause, there is always room for hope. Working side by side, we have the ability to solve the most insurmountable problems and to triumph over the greatest of adversities.
For more than seventy years, I have been lucky to meet and to know many of the world’s great leaders. And I have perhaps come to understand a little about what made them special.
It has sometimes been observed that what leaders do for their people today is government and politics. But what they do for the people of tomorrow — that is statesmanship.
I, for one, hope that this conference will be one of those rare occasions where everyone will have the chance to rise above the politics of the moment, and achieve true statesmanship.
It is the hope of many that the legacy of this summit – written in history books yet to be printed – will describe you as the leaders who did not pass up the opportunity; and that you answered the call of those future generations. That you left this conference as a community of nations with a determination, a desire, and a plan, to address the impact of climate change; and to recognise that the time for words has now moved to the time for action.
Of course, the benefits of such actions will not be there to enjoy for all of us here today: we none of us will live forever. But we are doing this not for ourselves but for our children and our children’s children, and those who will follow in their footsteps.
And so, I wish you every good fortune in this significant endeavour.
Saber  mais:Queen tells Scottish parliament it has 'key role' in tackling climate crisis Who’s who at Cop26: the leaders who hold the world’s future in their hands

Príncipe Carlos entende a frustração de Greta Thunberg - British royal says he understands activists' frustration at lack of climate action

O príncipe Charles, ambientalista de longa data e amante declarado de automóveis de luxo, disse que um de seus carros, da marca Aston Martin, foi modificado para funcionar à base de "queijo" e "vinho".

O príncipe Charles, ambientalista de longa data e amante declarado de automóveis de luxo, disse que um de seus carros, da marca Aston Martin, foi modificado para funcionar à base de "queijo" e "vinho".

Em entrevista à rede BBC nesta segunda-feira (11), o príncipe afirmou que modificou o automóvel para poder abastecê-lo com combustíveis de origem renovável.

O veículo, que possui há mais de 50 anos, funciona com 85% de bioetanol, e 15% de gasolina sem chumbo. Na mistura, vai o excedente da produção local de vinho e o soro da fabricação de queijo.

O filho mais velho da rainha Elizabeth II e herdeiro da coroa britânica participará da COP26, a Conferência da ONU para o clima em Glasgow, junto com sua mãe, de 95 anos.

Entende a frustação de Greta

O duque de Cambridge disse também que “entende” a frustração de ativistas como a sueca Greta Thunberg, que acusa os políticos de permanecerem impassíveis à emergência climática.

“Todos esses jovens acham que nada acontece, então é claro que ficam frustrados”, afirmou o príncipe, de 72 anos.

Greta Thunberg questiona conversas sobre clima: ‘blá-blá-blá’

Ele também disse entender por que grupos ambientalistas, como o Extinction Rebellion (XR), protestam e bloqueiam estradas, ações reiteradamente condenadas pelo governo britânico.

“A dificuldade está em como lidar com essa frustração de forma construtiva, e não destrutiva”, sugeriu.

Charles teme que os líderes mundiais reunidos para a COP26, a partir de 31 de outubro, em Glasgow, “limitem-se a falar”, em vez de tomarem medidas para reduzir as emissões de gases de efeito estufa.

Impacto catastrófico

Desde que os Acordos de Paris sobre o Clima foram assinados em 2015, a transição para economias mais limpas progrediu muito lentamente no sentido de limitar o aquecimento global a +2°C, e muito menos a +1,5°C, em comparação com o final do século XIX.

O impacto será “catastrófico”, se não forem tomadas medidas ambiciosas, advertiu Charles, contando que ele próprio deixou de comer carne e peixe dois dias por semana.

The Prince of Wales delivers a speech at the Our Ocean Conference in Malta

Prime Minister, Your Serene Highness, Commissioner Vella, Commissioner Mogherini, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I was enormously touched and flattered to have been asked by Commissioner Vella and the Prime Minister to be with you here today at the 2017 Our Ocean Summit and finally able to speak to you in person instead of via the rather disembodied medium of a video message!  In fact I've come to the conclusion  that I'm much more affective as a video message, but unfortunately you've ended up with me in person! So many of you, I know, have contributed so much to the task of sustaining the ocean, upon which all of life on Earth depends, that I would like to start by acknowledging and thanking you for all that you do. I would also like to offer particular thanks and appreciation to John Kerry for his leadership in establishing this forum and also to Commissioner Karmenu Vella and the Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, for bringing this much-needed conversation to this part of the world. Needless to say, it is a great joy to be back in Malta again so soon after being here during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting two years ago.  I share with my parents a deep affection for Malta and its people, together with countless happy memories of times spent here as a child, as an under-graduate from Cambridge and while in the Royal Navy. Now I know, ladies and gentlemen, that many of you, like me, have been involved with some of the matters being considered at this summit for more years than I suspect you would care to remember.  My interest in the Ocean, and its ecosystems and crucial resources, was probably initiated by my time in the Royal Navy, and this was more than forty years ago, and has only deepened over the intervening years – which I am now slightly alarmed to realize, amount to more than four decades!  And if I may, Ladies and Gentlemen, perhaps I could share with you a few reflections derived from that interest and, hopefully, leave you with a sense of what I see as the possibility for positive change and the bold action required? There is now, at last, an increased awareness of the plight of the Ocean, its intimate connection to us and our survival and the enormous amount that needs to be done.  Even ten years ago, tackling the many and mounting pressures on the marine environment was still a relatively unusual endeavour, certainly when compared with the efforts geared to protecting life on land.  This meeting and the undertakings that it highlights, is a testament to the extent that that has changed. It is at least heartening that there now exists a large number of collaborative processes and initiatives in relation to, among other things, sustaining and rebuilding fish stocks, the steps towards tackling the problem of the progressive, and increasingly omnipresent, pollution of the ocean with plastic debris and the establishment of marine protected areas – some of them absolutely vast.  And here, in this respect, I must acknowledge the extraordinary achievements of Dr. Enric Sala and his Pristine Seas programme, as well as Pew, Oceans 5 and the Bertarelli Foundation.  And I would also particularly like to thank Prince Albert of Monaco for all he has done over so many years to stimulate and encourage genuine movement on these issues.  And I can only congratulate a leading country such as Chile, which is now fully protecting over one million square kilometres of its marine waters in four massive marine parks. The trouble, ladies and gentlemen, is that the problems we face are not only enormous; they are also systemic and interrelated.  Their remedy can only be found by building a consensus across a wide range of stakeholders and communities.  Given this, the progress being made via multi-sector collaborations, including between countries, the finance sector, multilateral agencies, scientists, major companies, N.G.O.s and campaign groups could not be more welcome. But along with knowledge and partnerships, decisive action is required.  An example of this is the difficult decision Canada took twenty-five years ago to protect the Northern cod stocks on the Grand Banks by closing a fishery that had all but collapsed due to mismanagement and overfishing.  This ended more than 400 years of fishing tradition and put over 30,000 people out of work over-night.  But, while this decision was unimaginably painful at the time, it has worked and the cod stocks are slowly increasing and this demonstrates that given a chance, and with some brave decisions, the Ocean can recover its health and by doing so generate employment and economic growth.  Surely we must take equally far-sighted steps to deal with plastic pollution or illegal and over exploitative fishing, or, indeed, ocean acidification, especially as our ability to fine-tune and accurately monitor implementation has been hugely enhanced by advances in satellite capability? It does seem that this combination of increasing awareness and the availability of new tools has led to a clearer determination to act, both within countries and globally.  On the world stage the adoption of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals has created new platforms against which our efforts can at least be judged, while at the same time encouraging an integrated approach to problem-solving. Yet while we should be relieved that the health of the Ocean is now understood, alongside rainforests, to be one of the essential prerequisites for our physical and economic survival, and I'm afraid I really do wonder if the Ocean’s fragility is yet truly grasped and how susceptible it is to the impacts of our economic activities? As many of you know so well, the eight million tonnes of plastic that enter the sea every year - through our own doing I might add - is now almost ubiquitous.  As the Prime Minister said, f or all the plastic that we have produced since the 1950's that has ended up in the ocean is still with us in one form or another, so that wherever you swim there are particles of plastic near you and we are very close to reaching the point when whatever wild-caught fish you eat will contain plastic.  Plastic is indeed now on the menu!  Faced with such damaging effects on the ocean from plastic waste from the throw-away, convenience lifestyles of many around the world, it is, I believe, utterly crucial that we transition to a circular economy.  A circular economy allows plastic (along with many other substances) to be recovered, recycled and reused instead of created, used and then thrown away.  On our increasingly crowded planet this economic approach has to be a critical part of establishing a more harmonious relationship between humankind and the ocean that sustains us all and also provides a mechanism for the benefits of a sustainable Blue Economy to be reaped. For the Blue Economy is not only what happens in or on the sea, it is in reality all the economic growth that is derived from or affected by the sea, its ecosystems, its coastline and the coastal hinterland.  The fact that the "Blue Economy" has entered the development lexicon and is leading countries, companies and communities to look towards the ocean for economic development and income generation should be welcomed.  However, we must never mistake it for a new frontier for endless economic exploitation, but rather remember that it is the ecosystem that ensures our survival.  As we have just seen, ladies and gentlemen, in that amazing, if stark, film, coral reefs are perhaps the clearest litmus tests we have to gauge progress relative to the impact of an unsustainable Blue Economy.  These incredible ecosystems host about two-fifths of all marine species on just two per cent of the seabed, they protect many vulnerable coasts from storms, are nurseries for the young of commercially valuable fish and provide food and livelihoods for more than one billion people. Coral reefs’ economic value is, then, truly vast, at least while they are still intact.  The fact that we seem to have catastrophically underestimated their vulnerability to climate change, acidification and pollution and that significant portions of the Great Barrier Reef off Australia's Eastern coast have been severely degraded or lost over the last few years is both a tragedy and also, I would have thought, a very serious wake-up call.  Are we really going to allow ourselves the dismal comfort of accepting that in the long run we will only be left with a tiny fraction of them? And so it is absolutely vital, it seems to me, that we create sustainable Blue Economy agendas that take truly integrated approaches to improve ocean and therefore planetary health as part of strategies that also seek to meet the overwhelming challenges of poverty reduction, population growth, food and water security, the circular economy based on resource-efficiency and the huge elephant in the room of accelerating climate change.  Although there is some movement in this direction - and even in the poorest countries, beset by so many challenges, the practical, social and economic case for sustaining ocean health is being successfully made - arguably the sense of urgency needed to tackle these issues is still lacking.  If the unprecedented ferocity of recent catastrophic hurricanes is not the supreme wake-up call that it needs to be in order to address the vast and accumulating threat of climate change and ocean warming, then we – let alone the global insurance and financial sectors – can surely no longer consider ourselves as part of a rational, sensible civilization. Being confronted by all these issues, surely, ladies and gentlemen, the time is long overdue for taking a thorough, global look at perverse fisheries subsidies and their effects – particularly where they appear to contribute to overfishing, overcapacity and to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing?  I realize I am far from the first to ask this question.  Indeed, it forms one of the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 14, which deals with the vital importance of protecting our Ocean.  Can it be right though to argue on the one hand that our Ocean must be protected whilst, on the other, activities that cause harm to the Ocean should be subsidised?  The fact that the World Trade Organization is seeking to identify and eliminate the inconsistencies of fisheries subsidies is, in itself, at least encouraging and I look forward to seeing the results that flow from the W.T.O. Ministerial conference this December. Now I realize that new initiatives to move things forward will be highlighted at this meeting and, with this in mind, I am delighted that my International Sustainability Unit and the World Resources Institute are establishing a Blue Economy Initiative - and here I must again thank Prince Albert and his Foundation for their support.  The Initiative's purpose will be to help facilitate a collaborative effort to ensure that the Blue Economy builds Ocean resilience and reverses the cycle of decline, while encouraging ocean-related investments and policies to support sustainable development.  My International Sustainability Unit has already been working with the European Commission and W.W.F. to develop Financing Principles for the Blue Economy and I was delighted to hear from Commissioner Vella just now that the recent meeting in Brussels has led to the establishment of a working group of banks, insurance companies and N.G.O.s to take this forward.  I know that these meetings have been a celebration of what is happening that is positive, along with the many exciting new technologies, partnerships and instruments that are being developed.  It is of course excellent that this forum will meet again in Indonesia in 2018 and Norway in 2019 and I wish those meetings every success - but what, dare I ask, ladies and gentlemen, will success actually look like? Will, for instance, a substantial amount of the world’s ocean be protected by then?  Will illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing have been halted?  Will there have been the investment needed to reduce and stop plastic entering the Ocean?  Will a significant percentage of "impact investing" and "green finance" have been targeted on the Blue Economy?  Will there be proper benchmarking for sustainability; will fiduciary responsibility be an incentive for investment that embraces a sustainable future and revolves around genuinely ecosystem-based approaches to management?  And will there, at last, be a realization that this small, beautiful blue dot of a planet may have been misnamed?  It is not earth, it is actually mostly sea and we are utterly reliant upon it.  There is no "green or blue economy" for there is but one blue ocean planet in our solar system and the economic system that we engineer must protect it.  And at present it most certainly doesn't. Ladies and gentlemen, you may forgive me, perhaps, for experiencing a sense of mounting despair after all these years of trying – along with others – to draw attention to the immense planetary crisis we have been engineering for so long, seemingly driven by some strange, ideological urge to test the world to destruction, that we now face becoming the victims of history and our own human nature, which I feared from the start.  I have long worried deeply that the imperative for action to re-balance the way we do things to reflect Nature's own essential economy and underlying striving for harmony will only arise when ever more catastrophic natural disasters, dysfunction and human tragedy on a vast scale finally bring us to our senses in a state of collective panic. But, ladies and gentlemen, so many of you here in this room are the ones who could make the urgently needed changes that are required and to forge the partnerships that are needed to ensure that it is not too late in the day.  Indeed, as I look around now I can see in front of me the people who are already making an enormous difference and who may be able to turn the tide.   Here in this room on this historic Island at this finely balanced point in our civilisation, we all understand the situation and we must act now.   How, otherwise, how, will future generations ever forgive us for destroying the viability of the natural world that is our ultimate sustainer? I gather, ladies and gentlemen, that during the course of these two days it is customary for governments and organizations to commit themselves to courses of endeavour.  Mine is not a new commitment, but perhaps you will allow me to restate my determination to join you in continuing to do whatever I can, for as long as I can, to maintain not only the health and vitality of the ocean and all that depends upon it, but also the viability of that greatest and most unique of living organisms – Nature herself.

Discurso do Príncipe Carlos de Gales, vencedor do Prémio Lifetime Achievement Award 2012 é muito duro e deve ser partilhado

"O mundo está a cometer suicídio em larga escala"~ Príncipe Carlos 

No video do discurso de aceitação por SAR Príncipe de Gales, vencedor do Lifetime Achievement Award 2012, faz um discurso duro e um apelo. "A Humanidade e a Terra vão começar a sofrer as consequências cruéis", afirmou. "É um ato de suicídio em larga escala (...) Quando mais tempo continuarmos a ignorar e a negar o que já está a acontecer, mais profundamente condenamos os nossos netos a uma existência insuportavelmente tóxica e instável", Numa linguagem forte, o príncipe de Gales afirmou que o planeta estará condenado a um "futuro imaginável" se os problemas com as emissões de dióxido de carbono para a atmosfera, uso intensivo de pesticidas nas quintas e a escassez de recursos naturais não forem combatidos. Carlos afirma ainda que "os seus medos pelo ambiente foram confirmados por provas científicas."