"Tackling climate change is now as much a political and communications challenge as it is a scientific or technological one. We have the skills to address it in time, all we need is the global will to do so."
With Sir David Attenborough's words fresh in their ears, the leaders of the worlds richest countries - the G7 - sat down in Cornwall to make key decisions for a global future and the fight against climate change.
One of the promises they have all made is to move away from coal-fired power stations unless they have the means to capture the carbon emitted from them. Furthermore, for the first time, all of the leaders of the G7 have agreed to keep projected global temperature rise to 1.5C, requiring major policy shifts and changes in attitudes.
The G7 are also expected to set out plans to reduce emissions from other areas such as farming, transport and energy-intensive industries, as well as committing to protecting 30% of global land and marine areas by 2030. Other G7 countries are also willing to halve their emissions by 2030, compared to 2010 levels, which is a target the UK has already surpassed.
Many will be interested to see what climate changes are introduced in the United States under the Biden administration, given the apparent lack of environmental impetus from the previous President. Unfortunately China, the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the world, is not part of the G7.
Focus is now on what happens next - before, during and after COP26 in November. Sir David suggests that upcoming decisions facing the world's richest countries were "the most important in human history". It remains to be seen whether or how those decisions are made.
