Sir David Attenborough has always been a changemaker
by: Tom Horn
7 May 2026
David Attenborough with a gorilla in Rwanda as part of his 1979 Life on Earth series. Image: John Sparks / Nature Picture Library
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As he turns 100, here are five ways the world would be a poorer place without Sir David Attenborough.
1. Saving mountain gorillas from extinction
Attenborough travelled to more than 40 countries for landmark natural history series Life on Earth, which raised the bar for natural history programmes in 1979 with its scale and ambition – and helped save a species of mountain gorilla.
His iconic encounter with a troop of gorillas in Rwanda, where he described how they “see the world in the same way” as humans, caused a surge in support for conservation. At the time there were around 250 mountain gorillas left worldwide. Now there’s more than 1,000.
The devout conservationist has more than 40 species – and a constellation of stars – named after him.
As controller of BBC Two, David Attenborough oversaw the first full colour broadcast in Europe – the Wimbledon tennis championship in July 1967.
Colour television allowed viewers to see the world, and sport, in a different light. The popularity of snooker rocketed after he commissioned Pot Black in 1969 – the format was exciting and showing the colour of the balls brought the sport to life in a way black and white never could. Its primetime slot paved the way for snooker’s 1980s heyday.
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With Wimbledon, viewers struggled to see traditional white tennis balls on colour sets when the grass stained them green. Yellow balls were the solution, though Wimbledon didn’t introduce them until 1986, well after Attenborough’s time at BBC Two.
While best known for his work with animals, Attenborough has also made major contributions to our understanding of humans. In his films, he met people in places where “no white foot had yet trod”, according to his memoir, Life on Air.
His encounter with the Biami tribe in Papua New Guinea for 1971 doc A Blank on the Map saw him build a relationship with the group through smiles and hand gestures. Attenborough’s experience brought their lives to the wider world and showcased the common humanity we all share, regardless of race, geography or way of life.
4. The Blue Planet Effect: removing plastic from our seas
In 2017, Blue Planet II sparked a national conversation about plastic pollution in our seas. The series revealed the diverse and vibrant species living below the waterline and outlined the catastrophic impact of plastic pollution on marine life.
Viewers saw seabirds regurgitating pieces of plastic, a turtle tangled in a plastic sack, and microplastics contaminating whales, prompting then-environment secretary Michael Gove to say he was “haunted” by the scenes. A wave of public demand for change followed, leading to radical reforms.
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The following year, twice as many volunteers participated in the Great British Beach Clean, the UK government pledged to eliminate “avoidable plastic waste by the end of 2042”, and the UK Plastics Pact saw businesses including Tesco, Asda and Lidl pledge to make their plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable.
5. Offering world leaders his ‘witness statement’ on climate change
David Attenborough at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021. Image: Steve Reigate / Shutterstock
In recent years, Attenborough’s focus has shifted from showing us the planet to saving it. As one of the world’s most respected broadcasters, nobody has done more to raise awareness of the climate crisis.
In 2021 Attenborough took his campaign global, delivering the opening speech at the COP26 Climate Change Summit. Aged 95, he told 120 world leaders including Joe Biden and Angela Merkel to “turn tragedy into triumph” by working together to reduce carbon emissions and facilitate the planet’s “wonderful recovery”.
His 2020 Netflix series A Life on Our Planet had offered a “witness statement” on how climate change became humanity’s “greatest mistake” during his lifetime. He spelt out his vision of how to fix it with authority and clarity, proving that, at his core, Attenborough is more than a broadcaster and campaigner: he’s a changemaker.
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