He said Friday that signs of the climate crisis were being ignored.

By CNN Royal Correspondent Max Foster and Lauren Said-Moorhouse in London

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King Charles III has warned that the world is headed for "dangerous uncharted territory" in the climate crisis, with potentially devastating consequences.

The 75-year-old British monarch called on leaders and delegates to push for "genuine transformational action" in an opening address of the World Climate Action Summit, which is part of the COP28 climate talks in Dubai.

Charles said he had "spent a large proportion of my life" cautioning of the threats humanity faces from climate change.

"All these decades later, and despite all the attention, there is 30% more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now than there was back then, and almost 40% more methane," the King continued. "Some important progress has been made, but it worries me greatly that we remain so dreadfully far off track."

This was the sovereign's first major environmental speech of his reign, which he used to call for a number of measures to tackle the crisis, including ramping up public and private sector finance and rapidly increasing renewable energy.

"As you gather for these critical negotiations, the hope of the world rests on the decisions you must take," Charles said. "In 2050, our grandchildren won't be asking what we said, they will be living with the consequences of what we did or didn't do."

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The King spoke alongside UN Secretary General Antònio Guterres and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. While Charles didn't attend last year's COP27 summit on advice from the UK government, he had previously delivered flagship speeches in 2015 and 2021.

The King arrived in Dubai on Thursday and has undertaken a number of engagements. The monarch has been using the trip to support the UK government's efforts to promote peace in the region and bring people from different faiths and backgrounds together.

He held bilateral meetings with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, and the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, ahead of his address, according to PA Media news agency. A day before, he met with the presidents of the UAE, Nigeria and Guyana. He also attended a Commonwealth and Nature reception and separately met with female climate leaders.

Read more on the King's speech and follow all of CNN's coverage from the annual climate talks here.

Watch: King Charles' mission to save the planet.

Max takes a quick look at how the British monarch is adapting his climate action to fit the constraints of his new role. Take a look:

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Eagle-eyed royal watchers seemed to spot something of a fashion statement in the King's ensemble on Friday. also spotted a fashion statement from the King while at the climate talks. Charles wore a tie emblazoned with the Greek flag, just days after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak canceled a meeting with his Greek counterpart in a diplomatic dispute over the Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles.

The King wore the tie while meeting world leaders -- including Sunak -- in Dubai on Friday.

A Buckingham Palace source told CNN the tie was simply one of the King's current collection and has made other recent appearances.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was due to meet Sunak in London on Tuesday. However the meeting was abruptly canceled by Downing Street after Mitsotakis made comments during a television interview about the status of the Parthenon Sculptures, which are currently housed in the British Museum in London.

On Sunday, Mitsotakis told the BBC that the sculptures were "essentially stolen," and that his government would continue to lobby for a deal and push for a "partnership" with the UK.

Greece has repeatedly called for the return of the sculptures, which British diplomat Lord Elgin removed from the Parthenon temple in Athens in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

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While the King has been away at COP28, the release of a new book critical of the monarchy has reignited a furor in Britain over allegations of racism within the royal household. A Dutch version of British writer Omid Scobie's "Endgame" was temporarily pulled from shelves in the Netherlands by its local publisher. The move came after reports that a translation "error" named two members of the family who allegedly discussed the skin color of the Duke and Duchess' son Archie before he was born.

Prince Harry and Meghan first raised the claims of unconscious bias in their blockbuster interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, without revealing who was involved in those conversations.

While the publisher has said a translation issue was behind the book being withdrawn briefly, it's unclear why there would be additional detail in a foreign language translation. The translator at the center of the scandal told the Daily Mail that names were in the manuscript she was sent. "The names of the royals were there in black and white. I did not add them. I just did what I was paid to do and that was translate the book from English into Dutch," said Saskia Peeters.

Scobie told UK television network ITV on Thursday that "it's still being investigated" and that he "never submitted a book that had their names in it."

As the whodunit raged, controversial British personality Piers Morgan stepped into the fray and identified the two senior royals on his TalkTV show. He argued, "If Dutch people wandering into a book shop can pick it up and see these names, then, you, British people... [are] entitled to know, too." CNN is not naming the relatives without having seen the Dutch edition, but several British media outlets have since named the two royals. Neither Buckingham Palace nor the Sussexes have commented officially; however, a royal source told CNN the palace is "considering all options," without providing further detail.

Read more on this story here.

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The Prince and Princess of Wales put aside the latest scandal engulfing the royal family as they welcomed the Crown Princess of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel on Thursday. The couple greeted their visitors at Windsor Castle and later attended the Royal Variety Performance at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Tusk

Prince William was on hand Monday to celebrate conservation efforts at the annual Tusk awards in London. The Tusk Trust is a non-profit set up in the 1990s focused on wildlife conservation and anti-poaching efforts in Africa. In his capacity as royal patron of the charity, the prince presented Ekwoge Abwe, a Cameroonian conservationist, with a lifetime achievement award at the ceremony on Monday evening. Abwe, who is lead conservation scientist with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said he was "immensely humbled" to receive the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa and that he sees his work as a "duty" of the more fortunate to create a better world for all to enjoy. "I accept this award on behalf of our devoted and committed team in Cameroon, and dedicate it to the resilient communities we work with to ensure the long-term health of people, wildlife and the environment in Cameroon," Abwe said.

A ruff-collared, pale pink blouse Princess Diana wore in a 1981 engagement portrait is expected to fetch up to $100,000 when it goes up for auction later this month. Diana wore the blouse while posing for a portrait taken by Lord Snowdon that several magazines and newspapers, including Vogue, used when her engagement to the then-Prince Charles (now King Charles III) was announced. The blouse, which is complete with a satin ribbon tied in a bow underneath the collar, was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, who famously went on to design Diana's wedding dress. Find out more here.

"The dangers are no longer distant risks. I have seen across the Commonwealth, and beyond, countless communities which are unable to withstand repeated shocks, whose lives and livelihoods are laid waste by climate change."

– King Charles III at COP28

CNN's Laura Paddison, Simon Cullen and Chris Liakos contributed to this week's newsletter.

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