King Charles hailed as 'global inspiration' after meeting Cop29 chief during reception on pollution

King Charles has been hailed as a "global inspiration" after the monarch welcomed around 250 distinguished guests to St James's Palace yesterday for a significant gathering dedicated to addressing super pollutants.

The reception, held in the Throne Room and arranged by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, drew significant praise from COP29 president Mukhtar Babayev.

Azerbaijan's ambassador to London, Elin Suleymanov, shared the Cop29 chief's sentiments on social media, declaring: "His Majesty The King's commitment to environment is a global inspiration."

The King has spent more than half a century championing and highlighting environmental challenges, speaking publicly about how important it is to hit Net Zero targets set by the Government.

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Yesterday's event assembled leading figures from political, scientific, business, and philanthropic spheres, alongside senior representatives from international climate negotiations.

Before the monarch's arrival, several world leaders addressed the assembled guests.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres gave a delivery alongside Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

The trio of speeches set the tone for an event that brought together some of the most influential voices in global climate diplomacy.

Following these addresses, King Charles toured exhibition stalls where organisations, including the Clean Air Task Force, Clean Air Fund, and Wellcome Trust, showcased their efforts to combat harmful emissions.

The monarch saw displays illustrating the damaging effects of super pollutants and the practical measures being deployed to mitigate them.

Sweltering conditions that could be felt across the country were exemplified in the palace, where the king could be seen using a handheld fan as he searched for respite from the record-breaking heat.

The United Kingdom took on co-chairmanship of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition in March 2024, partnering with Brazil in an alliance of more than 200 governments, NGOs, and international organisations.

This coalition focuses specifically on super pollutants, which include methane, black carbon, hydrofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide, and tropospheric ozone.

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The gathering sought to generate momentum for swifter action against these particularly damaging emissions.

Various groups presented their work at dedicated stalls throughout the venue, demonstrating both the enormity of the challenge and the concrete steps already underway to tackle it.

Reducing these super pollutants represents one of the most effective strategies for curbing near-term warming, with the potential to limit global temperature increases by as much as 0.6 degrees by 2050.

The benefits extend well beyond climate targets, offering improvements to public health, crop yields, food security, and energy systems.

Many of the solutions required are both cost-effective and capable of rapid deployment.

The reception formed part of a particularly active day for the King, who also welcomed the Afghan Refugee Women's Cricket Team to Clarence House and visited a Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy in Hammersmith supporting military veterans and emergency service personnel.

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