NICOLA Sturgeon has hailed the “powerful moment” David Attenborough implored world leaders to deliver concrete action to avert a climate catastrophe.

The First Minister praised the environmentalist and broadcaster, who spoke at the official opening ceremony of the COP26 summit in Glasgow.

He warned world leaders that humanity is “already in trouble” as a result of global warming but said there is still time to “save” life on earth from disaster.

Sturgeon, who attended the opening ceremony, was pictured with Attenborough afterwards.

She tweeted: “The one and only Sir David Attenborough telling world leaders that it’s time to act – and that there is no longer any excuse for inaction – was a powerful moment of the #COP26 opening ceremony.”

During his speech, Attenborough charted carbon emissions throughout human history, which have peaked at 414 parts per million.

“Our burning of fossil fuels, our destruction of nature, our approach to industry, construction and learning, our releasing carbon into the atmosphere – we are already in trouble,” he said.

“The stability that we all depend on is breaking. This story is one of inequality as well as instability."

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But the climate campaigner also sought to issue an upbeat message, explaining young people can “give us the impetus we need to rewrite our story” and turn the tragedy of climate change into triumph.

The naturalist and broadcaster told the COP26 summit that those who have done the least to cause the problem are being the hardest hit He asked: “Is this how our story is due to end – a tale of the smartest species doomed by that all too human characteristic of failing to see the bigger picture in pursuit of short-term goals?”

The broadcaster added: “Perhaps the fact that the people affected by climate change are no longer some imagined future generations but young people alive today, perhaps that will give us the impetus we need to rewrite our story, to turn this tragedy into a triumph.”

The National:

He warned that “we are after all the greatest problem solvers to have ever existed on earth” and that we “now understand the problem” of how to put climate change into reverse.

“Today those who have done the least to cause this problem are being the hardest hit – ultimately all of us will feel the impacts, some of which are now unavoidable,” Attenborough stated.

But the environmentalist insisted the motivation for tackling climate change should “not be fear, but hope”.

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He said: “It comes down to this. The people alive now or the generation to come will look at this conference and consider one thing – did that number stop rising and start to drop as a result to drop as a result of commitments made here. There’s every reason to believe that the answer can be yes.

“If, working apart, we are a force powerful enough to destabilise our planet, surely working together we are powerful enough to save it.

“In my lifetime I’ve witnessed a terrible decline. In yours, you could and should witness a wonderful recovery. That desperate hope … is why the world is looking to you and why you are here.”