‘We’re running out of time but there’s still hope,’ says Sir David Attenborough in a new documentary about the ‘catastrophic future’ of climate change.

The naturalist and broadcaster, 92, says ‘conditions have changed far faster’ than he ever imagined when he first talked about the impact of climate change 20 years ago.

His documentary which looks at threats to the planet and how we could save it could not come sooner enough, with 2018 being the fourth hottest year on record.

David Attenborough has warns of ‘irreversible damage’ to the planet in Climate Change – The Facts (Picture: PA)

Climate Change – The Facts, which airs in spring on BBC One, includes footage showing the devastating impact global warming has already had, as well as interviews with climatologists and meteorologists.


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Scientists including Dr James Hansen, Dr Michael Mann and Professor Catherine Mitchell talk about the science behind the extreme weather conditions of recent years, which has seen severe storms and massive wildfires.



They also discuss the accelerating rate at which the world’s ice is melting, causing the sea level to rise and how deforestation is worsening the problem by adding to CO2 in the atmosphere.

The BBC say the film will ‘deliver an unflinching exploration of what dangerous levels of climate change could mean for human populations.’

Climate scientists say that is global warming exceeds 1.5 degrees, there could be disastrous consequences including extreme heatwaves, severe droughts, the extinction of coral reefs not to mention the inevitable sea level rise.

The accelerating rate at which the world’s ice melting is discussed in the one-off BBC One film (Picture: Getty Images AsiaPac)

Sir David says in the programme: ‘It may sound frightening but the scientific evidence is that if we have not taken dramatic action within the next decade, we could face irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our societies.

‘We’re running out of time but there’s still hope. I believe that if we better understand the threat we face, the more likely it is that we can avoid such a catastrophic future.’

Charlotte Moore, BBC director of content, said: ‘There is a real hunger from audiences to find out more about climate change and understand the facts. So it feels right to address the issue in peak on BBC One.

‘We have a trusted guide in Sir David Attenborough, who will be speaking to the challenging issues that it raises, and presenting an engaging and informative look at one of the biggest issues of our time.’

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