Queen Mary spoke of her love of nature at the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi on Thursday, urging policymakers to take seriously the threats of climate change.
The Danish queen serves as patron of the UN Environment Programme, and travelled to the Kenyan capital with the government ministers of Environment and Gender Equality.
As part of her visit, Queen Mary also stopped into the town of Kilifi to see the work done to improve biodiversity and adapt to climate change. She paid a visit to the Arabuko Sokoke Forest, the largest coastal forest in East Africa; and also visited a mangrove forest to see how its storing of CO2 helps coastal protection.
On the second day of her trip, Queen Mary visited the Dandora landfill to meet female waste collectors who have benefited from a Danish-funded entrepreneurship program that will help them create alternative income opportunities.
Later in the day, Queen Mary attended the UN Environment Assembly, where she gave a speech reflecting on her love of nature, calling it the place “where I feel grounded and calm, and where my mind slows and reflection becomes easier.”
She also spoke of the nature of Australia and the nature of Denmark have inspired her in different ways.
She called the nature of Tasmania, her hometown, as “rugged mountains, dense temperate rainforests and dramatic coastlines,” while the nature of her adopted home of Denmark features flat landscapes, long coastlines, and vibrant, green forests that change with the seasons. “Here,” Queen Mary said, “the forest is beautiful, serene and welcoming and it reflects the nature adapted to milder conditions.”
Queen Mary said, of her many travels around the world, witnessing the effects of climate change, that “A whole-of-society transformation is essential – one that honours Indigenous and local knowledge, embraces social and cultural change, and recognises the private sector as a crucial partner.”
She noted: “Time is of the essence.”
Queen Mary’s full speech can be read here.
