Prince Charles calls on leaders to take 'revolutionary' climate action

The Prince of Wales had launched a desperate call for environmental action during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Prince Charles addresses the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Source: AP

The future King of the United Kingdom has urged world and business leaders to immediately act at "revolutionary levels" to halt the climate crisis or face "catastrophic conditions" in the coming years. 

Prince Charles, 71, used a landmark speech at the 50th meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to ramp up calls for an overhaul of the global economic model, including the introduction of carbon pricing schemes and an end to tax subsidies for the fossil fuel industry.

A "complete paradigm shift" is needed, he told the audience on Wednesday, before going on to urge world leaders to act at a "revolutionary action and pace".

"Global warming, climate change and the devastating loss of biodiversity are the greatest threats humanity has ever faced and one largely of our own creation," he said.

"Do we want to go down in history as the people who did nothing to bring the world back from the brink in time to restore the balance?"

US President Donald Trump and Prince Charles expressed radically different climate views. Source: AAP

The searing speech followed comments by US President Donald Trump, who blasted environmental "prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse" made during the same conference.

The Prince of Wales, who has long campaigned on environmental issues, urged the audience to put themselves in the position of younger generations, who, inspired by 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, have been protesting for climate action in massive numbers across the globe.

He also announced a new Sustainable Markets Initiative aimed at encouraging the private sector to move towards environmentally friendly growth.

Greta Thunberg recieved a round of applause after she spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos Source: AAP

"What good is all the extra wealth in the world gained from business as usual if you can do nothing with it except watch it burn in catastrophic conditions," he added.

"We simply cannot waste any more time. The only limit is our willingness to act, and the time to act is now."

Addressing the conference for the second year on Tuesday, Ms Thunberg - who had a private meeting with Prince Charles - appeared to target Mr Trump directly, rebuking his announcement that the US would join an existing initiative to plant one trillion trees.

"Our house is still on fire ... your inaction is fuelling the flames," she said.