Sir David Attenborough warns of ‘man-made disaster on global scale’ in climate change film

Veteran broadcaster Sir David Attenborough has issued a stark warning regarding climate change, saying a ‘devastating future’ awaits if action is not taken soon.

The 92-year-old makes the frightening comments in new BBC One documentary Climate Change: The Facts.

He said: “Right now, we are facing our greatest threat in thousands of years. Climate change.

“Scientists across the globe are in no doubt that at the current rate of warming we risk a devastating future.

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“The science is now clear that urgent action is needed.

“What happens now and in these next few years will profoundly affect the next few thousand years.

“What can be done to avert disaster and ensure the survival of our civilisations and the natural world upon which we depend?

“We are facing a man-made disaster on a global scale.

“In the 20 years since I first started talking about the impact of climate change on our world, conditions have changed far faster than I ever imagined.

“It may sound frightening but the scientific evidence is that if we have not taken dramatic action within the next decade we could face irreversible damage of the natural world, and the collapse of our societies.

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“We are running out of time but there is still hope. I believe that if we better understand the threat we face, the more likely it is that we can avoid such a catastrophic future.

“Our climate is changing because of one simple fact … our world is getting hotter.”

Climate Change: The Facts sees Attenborough, a longtime campaigner for raising awareness about climate change, using his authoritative voice to discuss the perils currently facing our planet.

Attenborough added: “I’ve seen for myself that in addition to the many other threats they face, animals of all kinds are now struggling to adapt to rapidly changing conditions

“Scientists believe that 8% of species are now at threat of extinction solely due to climate change.

“This isn’t just about losing wonders of nature. With the loss of even smallest organisms we destabilise and ultimately risk collapsing the world’s ecosystems – the networks that support the whole of life on Earth.

“As temperatures rise, the threats we face multiply.”

Climate Change: The Facts, will air on BBC One tonight (18 April) from 9pm.