'The sooner the better': Sir David Attenborough urges world to tackle climate change
Video report by ITV News Science Editor Tom Clarke
Sir David Attenborough has urged the world "we do need to get together and work together" in order to tackle the climate crisis.
He told ITV News Science Editor Tom Clarke: "I believe we could solve it but we do need to get together and work together and the sooner that happens the better."
He added: "We're almost there but we're not quite yet."
His comments come on a day a boat designed for "cutting edge" scientific research was formally named after him.
Sir David said he hopes some of those problems can be solved by the vessel.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge toured the RRS Sir David Attenborough on Thursday at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, Merseyside, alongside the naturalist to see the state-of-the-art equipment on the ship's flight deck.
Sir David's hope is the vessel will play its part in offering a brighter future for the young, who he said have shown concern for the environment.
Emma Thompson calls on leaders to 'face facts' on climate change
UN climate change report will warn of more wildfires and damage to seafood
Asked about 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg’s role and the recent protests, he said: "I think there has been a huge change and awareness of people around the world of the problems of climate change."
"There are still one or two people, who as we know, around the world who are still poo-pooing the facts."
He added: "The fact that the world is coming to a realisation of what's happening is hugely encouraging.
"Human beings are enormously encouraging, enormously clever and if the nations of the world can get together, this is a global problem, I believe we could solve it but we do need to get together and the sooner that happens the better," he continued.
ITV News reported on the rising sea levels in the Solomon Islands as part of its Earth on the Edge series, which showed homes have disappeared under the water in the space of just two decades.
Sir David urged the world to act responsibly when it comes to climate change.
He said: "Think of it if it was your home, and the house in which you lived [there was] water coming through the floor.
"Imagine. And that is going on, your home is being drowned and you can see it happening every day [getting] worse.
"And what a terrible thing, and who is responsible for it? We are responsible for it. People all around the world of the industrialised nations are responsible for it."