King Charles is known for his love of the environment – and has faced ridicule for it long before terms such as climate change and marine pollution became mainstream.
He seems to have passed on that passion to his son, Prince William, but King Charles has launched his own initiatives such as The King’s Foundation and the Sustainable Markets Initiative, as well as supporting COP since its creation.
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What is The King’s Foundation?
King Charles III founded The King’s Foundation in 1990, as the Prince of Wales. The charity is inspired by His Majesty’s philosophy of Harmony. Its 2023/2024 impact report states that the charity “builds and supports communities where people, places and the planet can coexist in harmony.”
The King’s Foundation collaborates on international projects, which includes working with the Government of Guyana to protect the Guyanese rainforest. It also works on projects in the UK, including managing 2,000 acres of land at its sites.
While Highgrove is considered the birthplace for the Harmony Philosophy, the headquarters of The King’s Foundation are at Dumfries House in Scotland.
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What is his Philosophy of Harmony?
King Charles III’s Harmony philosophy sees everything in nature (including humans) as interconnected. The philosophy is underpinned by the belief that by understanding the balance, order and relationships between ourselves and the natural world, a more sustainable future can be created.
In the 2026 documentary that explores this, titled Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, Harmony can be applied to farming, architecture, the biodiversity crisis and more.
COP
In his role as the Prince of Wales, Charles has been involved in the Conference of the Parties (COP) climate summit since its creation in 1995, making keynote speeches. He gave the opening address for COP28, which took place in Dubai in 2023.
He did face opposition for his attendance at COP, but he explained in his Prime Video documentary, “I just felt that this was the approach that I was going to stick to, the course I’d set, and I wasn’t going to be diverted I’m afraid.”
The Prince of Wales represented the Crown at the COP30 meeting in 2025.
Organic farming
King Charles has been a champion of organic, regenerative farming since converting the Duchy Home Farm to these methods in the 1980s. He keeps beehives in the grounds of Buckingham Palace and chickens in Highgrove (in a chicken coop named Cluckingham Palace).
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Sustainable Markets Initiative
King Charles established the Sustainable Markets Initiative in 2020, which works to encourage the private sector to transition to more sustainable practises. As part of this, the Terra Carta and Astra Carta mandates were created, providing principles that put “Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation”. The Astra Carta mandate has a specific focus on space exploration.
Are King Charles and David Attenborough friends?
King Charles and David Attenborough have known each other for a long time, with a young Charles and Princess Anne meeting Attenborough at the BBC.
More recently, King Charles attended the premiere of Ocean with David Attenborough in 2025.
- Who is Sir David Attenborough?
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