David Attenborough left viewers in tears after making ‘urgent final plea’

In fewer than three weeks the legendary broadcaster Sir David Attenborough will turn 98 and he continues to be among the most beloved Brits of all time.

Generation after generation has been dazzled by the beauty and complexity of the natural world as shown to us in his plethora of programs, all narrated with his distinctive and authoritative voice.

Over the years Attenborough has shown us that in a million different spots around the world a myriad of marvellous stories are being told through nature, and that is something worth protecting fiercely.

Few have been as vocal about the need to defend the natural world as Sir David Attenborough, who has spoken out about the dangers of climate change many times and shown in his programmes the impact our consumption is having on the world around us.

One of his most crucial messages came at the end of his 2022 documentary series Frozen Planet II.

Sir David Attenborough at the launch of Planet Earth III. (Dave Benett/Getty Images)

At the end of the show he urged the world to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees in order to prevent the even more catastrophic consequences of climate change should our world get too warm.

Sir David said it was imperative we stick to this target 'to stand any chance of saving what remains of our frozen planet', and said we must 'honour it no matter how challenging it might be'.

"We can do it, it's within our power to do it. We can do it. We must do it. Then there will be a future for the planet," he said in what viewers felt at the time sounded like an 'urgent final plea'.

It would be truly tragic if we had the means to ensure a sustainable future for our planet and yet failed to do so.

Many watching found Attenborough's words 'heartbreaking' and admitted that he had them in tears as he said it.

Sir David Attenborough urged the world to stick to the COP26 target of limiting global temperatures to rising by 1.5 degrees. (Yves Herman - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

He will soon celebrate turning 98 years old, and much of Attenborough's recent content has acknowledged that the natural world will continue to face challenges after he is no longer around to see them.

The man himself has said that the most heartbreaking moments of his career have been witnessing the damage that mankind has done to the natural world.

He once recounted a story of visiting the Barrier Reef in Australia where 'instead of seeing the most marvellous, beautiful, extraordinary, wonderful wonderland, it was a cemetery'.

"It was just white, dead coral. And we were responsible," he said of what he saw.

Attenborough is hoping people can learn to reconnect with nature, and suggested that anyone who wanted to could find a spot to sit down for 10 minutes and just observe their surroundings for a bit.