Clara Nwachukwu
The news of the death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, yesterday sent shock waves across the globe, despite the fact that she died at the age of 96.
The late Queen, who reigned for 70 years, was the second longest serving monarch in history, after Louis XIV of France, who reigned for over 72 years from 1643 until 1715.
Her death was therefore a “moment of great sadness” not just for her son and successor, King Charles III, but also for the whole world, as the Queen had touched the lives of millions in hundreds of countries as the Head of the Commonwealth in many different ways.
Besides being the Head of Government in the United Kingdom (UK), the Queen would be remembered for very many things.
For the environmentalists, she would be greatly remembered for her contributions to the protection of the people and planet, and could easily be tagged the most eco-friendly monarch in history.
Her desire for cleaner environment and call to the world “to join in the shared objective of creating a safer, stabler future for our people and for the planet on which we depend,” will continue to resonate not just among the attendees of COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland, last year but many more years to come.
She did not just say it, she even acted it, and has a documentary film called, “The Queen’s Green Planet,” to show for it.
Overall, the film is meant to highlight the importance of trees and promote forest conservation around the world, according to the Independent.
Deforestation destroys critical wildlife habitats and drives climate change by releasing greenhouse gases stored in trees and accounts for estimated 15% emissions.
…the world should join in the shared objective of creating a safer, stabler future for our people and for the planet on which we depend.
The Cast of 16 and 11-member Crew documentary featured the Queen herself as well as her late husband, Prince Philip and her children, including Princes William and Harry and other members of the Royal Family and her staff. Ace actress and UN Peace Ambassador, Angelina Jolie and her six children also featured in the documentary.
In an interview with BBC’s David Attenborough, about the documentary, she said her dream was “to create a network of national forest parks from each of the 53 Commonwealth nations which span the globe called the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy.”
Filming for the series started back in the early summer of 2019 in Wiltshire, and saw the crew travel to 27 countries, visiting locations including Costa Rica, Croatia, northern Europe and the US over the course of the shoot.
According to National World, the documentary series began on BBC One on January 9, 2022. The five-part series made using pioneering new filmmaking technology covered different themes: Tropical Worlds, Water Worlds, Seasonal Worlds, Desert Worlds, and Human Worlds.
Leading by example
Queen Elizabeth’s love for nature was not merely advisory, she lived it; even made it a family tradition.
In a video message to COP26, she had called for immediate action beyond rhetoric and urged world leaders to act “for our children and our children’s children” and “rise above the politics of the moment”.
The Queen added that she took “great pride” in how her “dear late husband” Prince Philip promoted environmental issues, and recalled how the “impact of the environment on human progress was a subject close to the heart” of the Duke of Edinburgh.
She also referred to his warning at a 1969 academic gathering of the dangers of failing to address pollution, adding that: “It is a source of great pride to me that the leading role my husband played in encouraging people to protect our fragile planet, lives on through the work of our eldest son Charles and his eldest son William.
“I could not be more proud of them,” she said.
…her dream was to create a network of national forest parks from each of the 53 Commonwealth nations which span the globe called the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy.
Environmental-friendliness
Over the course of her reign, the Queen was said to have implemented a number of environment-friendly changes to her estate.
Seeing as forests are indispensable to human life the monarch wanted to spur action to save trees.
“Trees have been a part of the Queen’s life all her life,” Attenborough says in the film’s trailer. “[She] dreams of creating a global network of forests.”
The Queen was also frustrated with climate change inaction and was “irritated” by individuals who “talk but don’t do”.
Indeed, she practiced sustainable living, as during her reign, Buckingham Palace began to make its own honey, thanks to its four bee hives.”
Also, to promote energy transition, the monarch was said to have “built an impressive fleet of energy-efficient hybrid cars – one of which was used as a hearse at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral earlier this year.”
Indeed, since 1994, the Queen has been using a combined heat and power system at the Palace to increase efficiency, helping to reduce the Royal Household’s greenhouse gas emissions, energy costs and reliance on the National Grid.
In 2013, it was reported that the energy bills for Buckingham Palace hit a record £3.1 million for the year. Afterwards, the Royal Household continues to “work hard across operations in the Royal Palaces and Estates to reduce its impact on the environment, using everything from energy efficient LED (light-emitting diode) lighting to hydro-electricity generating plants to ensure efficient running of its sites.”
The hydroelectricity is generated by two screw turbines that harness the power of moving water; meeting 40% of the castles’ electricity requirements.
Also at Buckingham Palace, the heating and hot water is produced by a combined heat and power plant and boilers with flat plate heat exchangers to increase the efficiency of heat transfer.
Since 1994, the Queen has been using a combined heat and power system at the Palace to increase efficiency, helping to reduce the Royal Household’s greenhouse gas emissions, energy costs and reliance on the National Grid.
In 2016, as part of the Palaces’ £369 million makeover to make it greener, it was announced that solar panels would be fitted alongside ground source heat pumps to help save 554 tons of carbon a year.
In terms of conservation, the Royal Household also adopted other methods to green their estates and impact on the planet.
In 2018, plastic straws were banned at Royal residences and caterers were told they were only allowed to use china plates, glass, recyclable paper cups and compostable or biodegradable packaging.
The Royal Household also cut back on plastics of all levels – helping to set an example when it comes to wider strategies to tackle plastic waste across Europe.
The Royal Household is also keen to reduce waste by following the ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ method which is becoming a major CSR message in the building services industry when it comes to the lifecycle of materials and systems such as HVAC equipment.
From abandoning her furs to travelling in electric cars to save the Earth; the Queen, as Liz Truss, the last Prime Minister to have seen her noted, also ensured that Britain “has grown and flourished under her reign.”
