King Charles III Should Become A Climate Monarch

The reign of King Charles III might be viewed in a different way. We believe that King Charles III has the chance to make his mark as the climate monarch, which would make him different from Queen Elizabeth II. He could do subtle climate advocacy while respecting the boundaries and duties of the monarchy.

Climate progress has slowed in the last few months, so it will be good to see King Charles III advocating for climate change. In response to rising energy prices, countries are restarting coal plants and creating expensive new infrastructure to ship natural gas from the U.S. to Europe. Governments are announcing subsidies instead of allowing energy prices to go up. Many US states have stopped taxing gas. The household energy bill will be capped at £2,500. Germany and Austria have promised to help households with rising energy costs.

ADVERTISEMENT

Charles III has worked on environmental causes for 50 years. Last year, at the Glasgow COP 26 summit, where he delivered the opening address, Charles noted how devastating a global cross border threat could be. Climate change and loss of flora and fauna are the same thing. They pose a bigger threat to the extent that we have to put ourselves on a war footing.

Why a monarch with no real authority could have an influence on climate policy? He can't punish or reward politicians because he can't do anything about the environment. The bully pulpit has power. Public attention can be focused on specific issues by celebrities and influential people. People listen to the British monarch speak. Thanks to Buckingham Palace's skillful media management and popular TV shows such as The Crown, there is an amazing amount of interest in the British royalty.

Conservatives in Britain have a lot of respect for the monarchy. King Charles III might sway some conservatives with well-crafted general messaging, but they don't get much more hierarchical than the monarchy.

ADVERTISEMENT

The conflicting message from the office of the prime minister.

The new Prime Minister of the UK, Liz Truss, seems to be putting a brake on climate policy at the moment. She wants to suspend green levies and reexamine Britain's net zero emission commitments. Anne-Marie Trevelyan has been appointed as the transportation secretary, while the business and energy secretary has been created by her. Net zero emission targets are described by the new trade secretary as "lateral economic disarmament."

What can the king do?

Charles has not gotten off to a good start. Climate change was not mentioned in his first speech as the King. It was not appropriate for him to talk about his personal agenda during a sad time.

There could be two initiatives by King Charles III in the future. The royal automobile fleet should be switched to electric vehicles first. The carbon footprint of the palace should be reduced. He made a lot of changes in his previous residence at Highgrove. The estate's waste water is managed by a reed bed sewage system. The gardens are maintained to make sure they thrive. It's possible that Charles could do a Highgrove on Buckingham and other royal properties as well.

ADVERTISEMENT

Structural issues that have caused the climate crisis might be argued against by critics. The structural dimensions of climate change call for vigorous policy action. The climate crisis requires individuals to pitch in, instead of being powerless. The rich and powerful should show the way. People endowed with authority have an obligation to lead by example.

The Prince of Wales said in an interview at the 2020 World Economic Forum meeting that we can't go on like this, with every month another record in temperatures being broken. Do we want to be remembered as the people who didn't do anything to bring the world back from the brink in time? I don't wish to. Maybe King Charles III should think about what he would like to do in history. He has the chance to distinguish himself as the climate monarch.