Together for Our Planet

Sir David Attenborough Address to World Leaders at COP 26

BACKGROUND
David Attenborough, in full Sir David
Frederick Attenborough, (born May 8,
1926, London, England), is an English
broadcaster, writer, and naturalist noted for
his innovative educational television
programs, especially the nine-part Life
series. Attenborough later narrated Our
Planet, an eight-part series that debuted
on Netflix in 2019. That year the BBC also
broadcast his documentary Climate Change
—The Facts, in which he warned that the failure to act could lead to “the collapse of our
societies.” David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (2020) was described as his “witness
statement.” Attenborough wrote numerous books, a number of which were companions to his
TV series. Life on Air: Memoirs of a Broadcaster (2002), Adventures of a Young Naturalist: The
Zoo Quest Expeditions (2017), and Journeys to the Other Side of the World: Further Adventures
of a Young Naturalist (2018) are among his autobiographies. Attenborough was the recipient of
numerous other honours, including several BAFTA Awards and a Peabody Award (2014). He
was knighted in 1985.
Sir David Attenborough has urged COP26 climate summit delegates to "turn tragedy into
triumph" and tackle climate change. In an impassioned speech which drew a standing ovation, he
said the fate of future generations must give delegates the impetus "to rewrite our story".
He warned that humanity was "already in trouble" because of rising carbon levels in the
atmosphere.

COP26 in Glasgow
The 26th Convention of Parties is taking place at the
SEC complex in Glasgow. During the three-day
event, which will host one hundred and twenty
VIPs, the SEC will temporarily become United
Nations territory and therefore armed UN personnel
will act as security. The venue was chosen because
of its proximity to the city, the river Clyde and the
surrounding parks, with the hope of inspiring the
attendees to consider the future of the environment.
Glasgow has set a target to be carbon neutral by 2030 and is currently fourth in the world in the
Global Destination Sustainability Index, a programme that measures and improves sustainability
in different locations. Through its Sustainable Glasgow campaign, the city aims to be one of the
greenest cities in Europe.

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LEAD IN
1. You are going to watch Sir David Attenborough’s speech that he addressed to
world leaders at COP26 on November 2nd 2021. Read the text about the speaker
and the talk. Then work in pairs and discuss the questions.

1) What do you think Sir David Attenborough’s main interests are? What do you think
his working life is like?
2) What are the main consequences of climate change? Rank three consequences that
are the most dangerous for our planet and for the people.
3) Have you watched any documentaries by Sir David Attenborough? If not, which one
would you really like to watch and why?
4) Name three facts about the convention and discuss them.
5) Why were the SEC complex chosen as venue for COP26? Can you think of other
suitable venues for such important events? Give two more examples and explain
your choice.

KEY WORDS
2. Read the sentences (1-6). The words in bold are used in the speech. First guess the
meaning of the words. Then match the words with their definitions (a-f).

1) Ultimately the emergency climate comes down to a single number, the concentration
of carbon in our atmosphere.
2) We found ourselves in an unusually benign period with predictable seasons and
reliable weather.
3) Our burning of fossil fuels, our destruction of nature, our approach to industry,
construction and learning, are releasing carbon into the atmosphere at an
unprecedented pace and scale.
4) … but young people alive today, perhaps that will give us the impetus we need to
rewrite our story, to turn this tragedy into a triumph.
5) A new industrial revolution, powered by millions of sustainable innovations, is
essential, and is indeed already beginning.

a) able to continue over a period of time

b) never having happened or existed in the past
c) have a particular thing as the most important matter
d) pleasant and kind
e) something that encourages a particular activity or makes that activity more energetic

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LISTENING SKILLS
1. Watch Sir David Attenborough’s speech. Why is it important for the world leaders to
make the right decisions at the COP26 summit? Tick the ideas that he mentions in his
talk.

o The concentration of carbon in our atmosphere has constantly increased in the last five
decades.
o The burning of fossil fuels is releasing carbon into the atmosphere at a faster pace and on
a larger scale than in the past.
o Global warming mainly affects developing countries from Asia and Africa.
o There are sustainable innovations available today, which can lead to a new industrial
revolution based on clean energy.
o A lot of animals have lost their habitat and are in danger of becoming extinct.

2. Watch the first part of the talk (0-02.24) again and complete the sentences (1-6). You
must use one word, a number or a short phrase.

1) World leaders present at COP26 in Glasgow are (1)________, (2)_________, (3)_______

and compromising in order to make the right decisions regarding climate change.
2) The (4)____________ has greatly influenced the changes in global temperatures.
3) Throughout ancient history, the concentration of carbon fluctuated between
(5)________and (6)________ and so did global temperatures which made the weather
totally unpredictable.
4) However, over 10,000 years ago the number stabilized and this led to more (7)________
seasons and (8)________ weather.
5) For nearly 10,000 years the global temperature did not change by more than (9)
___________ one degree Celsius.
6) Nowadays the burning of fossil fuels, the destruction of nature, as well as the heavy
industry are releasing carbon into the atmosphere at an unprecedented (10)___________.

3. Watch the second part (02.24-05.46) of the talk again. Then complete the summary using
the words below. There are two extra words that you do not need to use.

instability impetus innovations stability inequality problem solvers footprint

standard reverse security generations issues

Sir David Attenborough believes the whole world is already in trouble because the (1)________
people depend on is breaking. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of (2)________ and
(3)____________because those who contributed the least to the current situation are actually the
ones who suffer the most.

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 He also points out that the people who already suffer because of the climate change are no longer
imagined future (4)_______ but young people living today and this should give world leaders
today the (5)______ to make the right decisions at COP26. He believes that humans are the
greatest (6)_____ and that they will be able to stop the number rising and put it in (7)_______.
A new industrial revolution based on sustainable (8)______ is the key to reduce the level of
carbon in the atmosphere. Building a better world requires all nations to have two main goals: a
good (9)__________ of living and a modest (10)_________.

4. Watch the last part (05.46 to the end) of the talk again.
1) What is the final message that Sir David Attenborough conveys?
2) Write a short paragraph (2-3 sentences) and read it to your desk mate. Do you
both share the speaker’s views? To what extent?

AUTHENTIC LISTENING SKILLS

Discourse markers

When we listen to a speaker, the discourse markers they use (e.g., surprisingly, in particular)
tell you what kind of information is going to come next. For example, if you hear “at times”,
you can be fairly sure that you are going to hear a story or example of something that happens
or is true on some occasions or at some moment.

1.a Look at the authentic listening skills box. Match the discourse marker (1-6) with its function
(a-f).
1. ultimately 4. so that
2. perhaps 5. at times
3. after all 6. actually
a. showing the result
b. emphasizing the most important fact in a situation
c. saying something in another way
d. say that something happens or is true on some occasions or at some moment
e. sounding less strict
f. making an additional point that supports what one has just said

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1.b Choose the correct discourse markers that complete the sentences from David
Attenborough’s talk. Then listen and check your answers.
1. Sometimes/ Perhaps the fact that the people most affected by climate change are no
longer some imagined generations…
2. Ultimately/ In conclusion, all of us will feel the impact, some of which are now
unavoidable.
3. We are after all/ therefore, the greatest problem solvers to have ever existed on Earth.

1.c Listen to the end of the talk. Complete the conclusion that Sir David Attenborough makes.
It comes down to this. The people alive now, the generation to come, will look at this
conference and consider one thing. Did that number stop rising and start to drop,
(1)______________ of commitments made here? There’s every reason to believe that the
answer can be yes. If working apart, we are force powerful enough to destabilize our planet,
(2)______________, working together, we are powerful enough to save it. In my lifetime,
I’ve witnessed a terrible decline. In yours, you could and should witness a wonderful
recovery. That desperate hope, ladies and gentlemen, delegates, excellencies, is why the
world is looking to you and why you are here. Thank you!

PRESENTATION SKILLS Persuasion/Rhetorical devices

1. Work in pairs. Look at the Presentation tips box. Which tip is the most effective in your
opinion? Why?

If you want to persuade people, here are some suggestions for making your argument more
effective:
 Stay focused on one big idea.
 Use facts and real-life examples so the audience is confident that you know what you
are talking about.
 Use stories to engage the audience emotionally with what you are saying.

Watch the clip from the talk. What facts and real-life examples does Sir David Attenborough use
to persuade the world leaders he knows what he is talking about.

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 2. Rhetorical devices
Match the rhetorical devices to their definitions and try to find examples from the speech you
have watched. You may not find examples for each rhetorical device in Sir David Attenborough
Speech. Use the transcript to help you. Work in pairs to complete the following table.
Rhetorical device Definition Write an example
1. alliteration a) Short, often humorous
story about a real person or
event
2. anecdotes b) Repeating words or ideas
for effect
3. facts c) Understanding of how
someone feels
4. opinions d) Personally held view or
judgement
5. rhetorical questions e) Numerical data used to
support an idea
6. Repetition f) Close repetition of the
same consonant sound
7. Emotive language g) Exaggeration for effect
8. Statistics h) Information that can be
proven to be true
9. Triplets i) Writing as if speaking
directly to the reader
10. Hyperbole j) Words designed to
influence or elicit emotion
11. Empathy k) Questions asked for
dramatic effect, not requiring
an answer
12. Direct address l) Three words or ideas
combined for effect

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HOMEWORK
Prepare a short presentation for your country leaders in which to persuade them to share your
views on the climate crisis and requesting action on net zero pledges.
You may wish to consult these sites for more ideas:
https://www.theclimatepledge.com/
https://attenboroughfilm.com/
https://www.ourplanet.com/en/video/how-to-save-our-planet/