King Charles has lent his support to a new education program that aims to help Commonwealth nations deal with climate change and other urgent challenges, with royal sources saying he has made a large personal donation to the cause.
The King is backing the scheme in the hope it will help small island states confront climate change and other pressures, in another sign he will use his reign to highlight the global challenge, despite claims he should remain politically neutral.
Crowds gather outside St Thomas’ Anglican Church ahead of the royal visit. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
The fellowships are being set up by universities across the Commonwealth with the goal of helping mid-career professionals and students in the island states take advanced courses in climate resilience, health, engineering and other subjects.
The King gave the program his formal endorsement in a statement on Sunday morning before events in Sydney, including a church service where Australians will be able to see the royal couple.
Climate change will be a key issue later this week at the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in Samoa, where the King will be joined by national leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“I am delighted to support this important new initiative,” he said in a statement released at 8am on Sunday morning, AEDT.
“Throughout my life I have believed in the power of education to improve lives and unite communities across the Commonwealth and beyond.
“There is so much we can learn from one another as we work together within the Commonwealth to tackle the major challenges of our age and, as these fellowships do in small island developing states, to address them where they are felt most acutely.”
The list of qualifying nations includes Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu in the Pacific, as well as other island nations in Africa and the Caribbean.
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