Sir David Attenborough is the king of the COP

Of all the voices warning of doom for the world at COP26 in Glasgow, 95-year-old Sir David Attenborough's gentle predictions must put him in line for the Nobel Prize for saving the planet. If there isn't one there should be. More than anyone else he has been trying to tell us all of what is going to happen in the future and his brilliant documentaries are part of our way of life. But in the end unfortunately Sir David can't actually force the world to be sensible. Only leaders and their governments can do that and those attending COP26 have certainly made the right noises. But will they follow up their grand speeches with positive and immediate action? The outrageous absence of Xi Zinping and Vladimir Putin should not put off the rest of the world from reaching proper and meaningful decisions. Perhaps China and Russia, despite their leaders' indifference, will play their role and help the planet to survive. I believe they will because if they stay stuck in the fossil-burning age, both countries will falter as other nations seize the opportunities that lie ahead in a greener world. Attenborough's voice will win through bless him. For that reason alone I suddenly feel more optimistic or, at least, less pessimistic.