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Good morning. 鈥淲e have a moral responsibility鈥 Those are the words of Sir David Attenborough, talking about the richest nations in the world and the need for them to act when it comes to the impact of the climate crisis on poorer nations. His words come in light of COP26, described by some as perhaps the most important meeting in the history of humanity. Sir David went on to say that 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 act now, it鈥檒l be too late鈥. Britain is the home of the industrial revolution, and to a great extent, the world has followed in our footsteps. Our prosperity as a nation owes a great deal to us being leaders in modern technology for over a century and a half. However, as we become more aware of how the human race has changed the natural world almost to the point of no return, how can Britain extend its leadership to help save our planet? In the early 16th century, Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, was invited to dinner at a wealthy merchant鈥檚 home in Lahore. The house had 7 flags flying above it. The Guru asked the merchant what the flags signified, and the merchant told him that each flag represented 10 million rupees of his wealth, but that wasn鈥檛 enough for the merchant. He wanted to be the richest person in the whole of the city, and he wouldn鈥檛 be content settling for anything less than that. The Guru thought carefully about this, and then took out a needle from his pocket. He asked the merchant for a small favour, that he look after the needle and give it back to him in the afterworld. The merchant willingly agreed and he gave it to his wife for safekeeping, but she pointed out that he wouldn鈥檛 be able to carry a needle with him to the next world after he had died. The merchant returned to the Guru, handed back the needle and said that such a task was impossible, and the Guru replied that if he couldn鈥檛 take a needle with him, then he also wouldn鈥檛 be able to take his wealth. The merchant, took the hint and used his money to help the poor and the vulnerable. With the gathering of world leaders about to get underway in Glasgow this weekend, COP26 is a timely reminder that with wealth comes responsibility. Ecological and environmental leadership demands more than words, and nations will have to make difficult financial decisions in order to deliver on any commitments made at the summit. After all, what use will all the wealth in the world be if it becomes uninhabitable?
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