King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia are in Belém, Brazil, participating in a summit ahead of the UN climate summit, which begins on Monday.
In a speech to world leaders on site, the Swedish king emphasizes the importance of reaching the goal from the Paris Agreement, that global warming should stay at 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels.
We must build resilience, for the sake of future generations, he says.
“Lifelong commitment”
The King also mentions that as a "young Crown Prince" he participated in the UN's first environmental conference, which took place in Stockholm in 1972, together with his grandfather Gustaf VI Adolf.
"It was historic in that it put global environmental issues on the political agenda. It was also the starting point for international cooperation on environmental issues," he says.
According to the King, the conference in Stockholm led to a lifelong commitment to protecting nature.
It also convinced me that collaboration across borders, different disciplines and parts of society is necessary to meet the challenges we face.
No minister
He notes that even though it has been 33 years since the UN Climate Convention was signed in Rio de Janeiro, "significant challenges" remain.
Greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase. Biodiversity is declining and ecosystems are under enormous pressure, he says.
The King and Queen represent Sweden in Belém together with EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz (M).
However, no Swedish minister will participate in the climate summit itself next week after Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (L) had to cancel due to pregnancy.
