David Attenborough warns civilisation is near collapse
Famed naturalist addresses COP24 UN climate change summit in Poland

Sir David Attenborough has warned world leaders that the collapse of civilisation and the natural world is “on the horizon”.
Attenborough, famous for his decades of documenting the world and its wildlife, was addressing delegates of almost 200 countries attending the COP24 UN climate change summit in Poland, designed to negotiate how to turn the 2015 Paris climate deal into reality.
“Right now we are facing a manmade disaster of global scale, our greatest threat in thousands of years: climate change,” Attenborough said. “If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Attenborough had been chosen to “represent the public, by taking the ‘People’s Seat’ at the conference”, CNN reports, after the UN had asked people around the globe to send in their thoughts about climate change.
“Leaders of the world you must lead,” he continued. “The continuation of our civilisations and the natural world on which we depend is in your hands.”
Attenborough also used the opportunity to plead with the United States to remain committed to fighting climate change, despite Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate deal.
“Please join the rest of the world,” he said. “The entire rest of the world is united in trying to take action on this. The United States is a very, very powerful voice. Please, please, join us.”
The Guardian says that the two-week COP24 summit is the “most important since Paris”, and that the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for the summit to deliver “firm funding agreements” to combat climate change.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - March 29, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - my way or Norway, running orders, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 tactically sound cartoons about the leaked Signal chat
Cartoons Artists take on the clown signal, baby steps, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Roast lamb shoulder with ginger and fresh turmeric recipe
The Week Recommends Succulent and tender and falls off the bone with ease
By The Week UK Published
-
Dozens of deep-sea creatures discovered after iceberg broke off Antarctica
Under the radar The cold never bothered them anyway
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Earth's climate is in the era of 'global weirding'
The Explainer Weather is harder to predict and more extreme
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Hot to go: extreme heat can make people age faster
Under the radar New research shows warming temperatures can affect biological age
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Parts of California are sinking and affecting sea level
Under the radar Climate change is bringing the land to the sea
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
A new dam in the Panama Canal could solve water-level problems but create housing ones
Under the radar Droughts are becoming more common
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
World's largest iceberg is on a collision path with remote islands
Under the radar Penguins and seals may be at risk
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Animals that are adapting to climate change
The Explainer Some species have already altered their habits
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
How will home insurance change after LA's fires?
Today's Big Question Climate disasters leave insurance industry in crisis
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published