ActionAid today fully supported Prince Charles’ efforts to persuade rich countries to sign up to a comprehensive climate deal.

The Prince of Wales is patron of ActionAid UK and is making a keynote speech at the UN conference highlighting how mankind has the power to bring the planet to the brink, but also has the power to bring the world back on balance.

Tom Sharman, ActionAid’s climate justice coordinator, who is in Copenhagen, said: “Prince Charles recognises just how serious these negotiations are.

“He is right to be blunt in warning that failure to reach a just global deal will have the most serious of consequences for future generations.

“He is speaking up for the billions of people in developing nations who have the most to lose from dangerous climate change.

“In the long term, we will all lose out if we continue with business-as-usual in the way we treat the environment.”