On a dreary day in November last year, the future King stood before world leaders to issue a rallying cry that they must “act with all mission and determination” to confront a common enemy. The speech — in the vast, windowless room of a Glasgow conference center at the opening of the UN climate conference — touched on a subject dear to the heart of then-Prince Charles. Climate change and biodiversity loss were no different than the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world, he said. “In fact, they pose an even greater existential threat, to the extent that we have to put ourselves on what could be called a war footing.” He warned leaders that time is running out to reduce emissions, urging them to push for reforms that “fundamentally transform our current fossil fuel-based economy into a truly renewable and sustainable one.” “We need a massive military-style campaign to show the power of the global private sector,” he said, adding that the trillions available to businesses would far exceed what governments could raise and would provide “the only real prospect of achieving fundamental financial transition.” It was a wild call to arms, not unlike the gentle appeal his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made in a video message that evening. For decades, Charles has been one of Britain’s most prominent environmental voices, decrying the scourge of pollution. Now that he is a monarch, he is sure to be more careful with his words and must stay out of politics and government policy in keeping with the traditions of Britain’s constitutional monarchy. “Charles will have very little freedom of maneuver now that he is king,” said Robert Hazell, an expert on British constitutional issues at University College London. “All his speeches are scripted or controlled by the government,” Hazell added. “If he makes an off-the-cuff remark that seems to contradict government policy, the press will pounce on him to point out the inconsistency and the government will rein him in; he will have to be far less outspoken than in the past . “ But many say he’s unlikely to suddenly stop talking about climate change and the environment — mostly because they’re issues that transcend political ideology. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last week it would be “perfectly acceptable” for the monarch to support climate action, even though his role is intended to be apolitical. “It is important that the monarchy distances itself from party politics,” Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “But there are issues like climate change where I think if he chooses to continue to make statements in that area, I think that’s perfectly acceptable.” “It should be something that is above politics, the need to act on climate change,” he added. Keeping mum on climate may be particularly difficult for Charles in light of the ambivalent stance of the current Conservative government. While the government says it remains committed to its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to “net zero” by mid-century, the government led by new prime minister Liz Truss is encouraging more oil drilling in the North Sea and reversing a ban on fracking in an effort to boost domestic energy supply. Britain’s government officially confirmed on Thursday that it has lifted a 2019 ban on fracking — or hydraulic fracking, the controversial method of extracting shale gas — in England. Officials brushed off criticism from environmental groups and argued the move would reduce the UK’s reliance on international gas prices, which have soared amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Truss government also announced a new round of licensing for companies to search for oil and gas in the North Sea. Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said Britain must continue to burn the fossil fuels it has. “We have to think about extracting every last cubic inch of natural gas from the North Sea,” he said in a recent radio interview, citing the need for energy security. In the past, Rees-Mogg has spoken out against building more onshore wind farms in Britain and questioned the effect rising carbon dioxide emissions are having on the climate, even though experts say the warming effects of rising CO2 levels they are clear. As environment secretary in 2014, Truss called large-scale solar farms “a blight on the landscape” and withdrew subsidies for farmers and landowners to build them. Speaking in a 2018 BBC documentary on Charles’ 70th birthday, his sons William and Harry revealed their father’s frustration at the world’s failure to tackle environmental challenges. They recalled how, as teenagers, Charles made them pick up trash during the holidays and obsess about turning off the lights. Such small actions pale in comparison to the air miles the monarch has racked up during a lifetime jetting around the world — although he claims to have converted his Aston Martin to run on a surplus of white wine and cheese. Charles’ lament that many people “just don’t pay attention to the science” on climate change has also been picked up by those who point out that he has long been an advocate of unproven naturopathic remedies. Some of Charles’s subjects want him to continue the fight against climate change, even as king. However, the new king himself has acknowledged that his role as eco-warrior cannot last, at least in its current form. “I’m not that stupid,” he told the BBC four years ago when asked if he would continue his activism as before. A prince’s battles are not those of a king, he explained, but made it clear they can still be fought by the next in line, Prince William. In his first address as sovereign to the nation on September 9, Charles emphasized that, saying that “it will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to charities and causes that I care so deeply about.” . “But I know that this important work will continue in the trusted hands of others,” he added. Like Charles, William, 40, has made climate change one of his main advocacy issues. Last year he made his mark by awarding the first Earthshot Prize, an ambitious “legacy programme” set up by the prince to award millions of pounds in grants to environmental initiatives around the world over the next 10 years. His efforts, however, have been undermined by criticism that his conservation charity invested in a bank that is one of the world’s biggest backers of fossil fuels. —— The Associated Press’s climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. 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