The Prime Minister was one of several figures on the stage today, appearing alongside trailblazing climate figureheads such as David Attenborough. Together they warned of the coming pitfalls of global warming and called for political action. Mr Johnson has previously committed to green measures, but his speech cemented his Government's intentions to deliver on climate change.

       He claimed he "acknowledged a problem" with climate change in 2010

       During his speech, Mr Johnson claimed he was among leaders who acknowledged the dangers of climate change 11 years ago.

       But he is among Conservative MPs with a history of denying the risks, as recently as 2015.

       In one of his regular columns for the Daily Telegraph six years ago, he said claims that humans have caused global warming are "without foundation".

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       The Prime Minister channelled Greta Thunberg in his speech, stealing a line from an address of hers.

       Without attributing her, he said promises made by world leaders would be "nothing but blah blah blah" without action.

       His decision to include the quote in his speech came after she excoriated Mr Johnson in September for claiming climate change goals were not "some expensive, politically correct, green act of bunny hugging”.

       Mr Johnson showed he understands the risks of what would happen with each degree of global warming.

       At 2C, he said temperatures would "jeopardise the food supply for hundreds of millions of people", three would trigger "wildfires and cyclones".

       At 4C, he warned, humanity would "say goodbye to whole cities", stating several low lying settlements such as Miami and Shanghai would sink underwater.

       Adding to the sense of urgency, Mr Johnson claimed humanity was at "one minute to midnight".

       His referral to the Doomsday Clock - which represents humanity's distance to nuclear annihilation - suggested that climate change would see humans destroy the planet.

       Earlier in his speech, he said the world was in the same position as James Bond as the clock "ticks down remorselessly to a detonation that will end human life as we know it".

       Before the Prime Minister delivered his speech, a survey found Britons don't trust him to handle the impending crisis.

       A survey conducted by Opinium for the Daily Telegraph found more than 50 percent of people do not trust the Government to find solutions for making their homes environmentally friendly.

       The results show ministers face a challenge as they advocate for people to switch from gas to electric boilers or buy an electric car.