Climate negotiations have been worryingly slow in the last few days, but were given a renewed burst of support when heads of state and high-level guests began arriving yesterday, urging them to ’Seal the Deal’.

By Katie Rice

At the High Level Opening Ceremony in the Bella Center, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai and the environmentally-forward Prince of Wales called on delegates to reach a successful conclusion to the two-week long negotiations.

In his speech to the assembled guests, Prince Charles, recognised what many have been calling for and urged support for initiatives that stem all the way from national to local level, especially in the area of agriculture.

“It must be genuinely sustainable agriculture that helps to empower local communities and small farmers.”

He also urged delegates who may have been caught up in the infighting and negativity of the past few days to refrain from focusing on the worst-case scenarios and the ‘what-ifs’ of failure.

“But take a moment to consider the opportunities if we succeed. Imagine a healthier, safer and more sustainable, economically robust world. Because if we share in that vision, we can share the will to action that is now required.”