Sir David Attenborough showed his support for striking students and called their outrage 'certainly justified'

Sir David Attenborough has showed his support for students striking over climate change and called their outrage 'certainly justified'.

The broadcaster and natural historian branded critics of the school strikes cynics in a podcast interview with former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres.

During the podcast, called Outrage and Optimism, he told Ms Figueres: 'Young people understand the simple discoveries of science about our dependence upon the natural world.

'My generation is no great example for understanding – we have done terrible things.'

In the interview, reported by the Guardian, he said he couldn't bear to think of the world he was leaving to his grandchildren because 'the signs aren't good'.

He added: 'I'm just coming up to 93, and so I don't have many more years around here. I find it difficult to think beyond that as the signs aren't good.

'Young people may lack experience but they also have clear sight. They can see perhaps more clearly than the rest of us who have been around for some time.'

Greta Thunberg, 16, initiated the school strikes and is currently on her 36th week of protesting in her home country, Sweden. Last Tuesday she told UK politicians: 'You lied to us'

She recevied criticism for accusing the British government of 'very creative carbon accounting'

His support comes after the 16-year-old who started the movement, Greta Thunberg, received disapproval on her recent trip to the UK during which she accused the Government of 'very creative carbon accounting'.

The Swedish teenager, who was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize last month, pointed out that the government claims greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 42 per cent since 1990.

But this figure leaves out emissions from flights, shipping and imports.

She claimed the actual amount of reduction was more likely to be 10 per cent.

Extinction Rebellion activists staged 10 days of peaceful protests in London which ended on Thursday

The protests saw over 1,100 people get arrested and traffic was blocked in Oxford Circus, Waterloo Bridge and Parliament Square

During an address to politicians in parliament last Tuesday she said: 'You lied to us. You gave us false hope'.

The school strikes are predicted to continue on Friday with protests expected in 485 towns and cities in 72 countries, according to Fridays for Future - which logs all strikes that happen on a Friday.

Extinction Rebellion protests came to an end on Thursday, after 10 days of peaceful protests saw more than 1,100 arrests and traffic blocked in Oxford Circus, Waterloo Bridge and Parliament Square.

Ms Figueres said: 'Greta and the other young people are justifiably furious with us. They say we have been at this for 30 years and we still haven't solved this.'