More than 2,000 people gathered for the multi-faith service in central London, coming together to read six affirmations.

Among them were pledges to respect the planet and to recognise the threat to humanity posed by climate change and environmental degradation.

The colourful service included performances by the African Children's Choir, which has been working with the most vulnerable children in east Africa for 24 years, and Ngati Ranana, who performed a haka in front of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.

A number of personal testimonies were read including one by a survivor of the 2004 Tsunami.

Fathimath Ghina spoke of the terrror that was felt around her home in the Maldives when people realised there was nothing they could do to stop the rising water.

She went on: "Eventually the ocean receded and we lived – this time.

"But all our islands are less than 1.5 metres above sea level. If climate change continues unchecked, our way of life, like some island countries in the Pacific will literally be washed away. We are in the front line of climate change. We need the world to act."

Rebecca Hosking, who was behind the campaign to ban plastic bags in her hometown of Modbury in Devon, said: "Two years ago I was confronted with a shocking symptom of our consumer lifestyles.

"On a Pacific island I was surrounded by dying albatrosses with stomachs full of plastic. They are one of hundreds of species that suffer this agonising fate. This is something for which we are all responsible.

"This is why I urged the traders and residents of Modbury to become the first town in Europe to stop issuing plastic bags. If we continue to consume resources and produce waste at this rate we could lose half the world's wildlife within 80 years."

In her Commonwealth Day message, the Queen, as head of the Commonwealth, said that the impact of climate change was often worst for those countries who pollute the least.

And she suggested that the developed world should work with communities that are most affected to bring about lasting change.

"Happily, this approach has always been the strength of the Commonwealth, and awareness of environmental issues is now widespread, with a determination that future generations should enjoy clean air, sufficient fresh water and energy without risking damage to the planet."

The Queen praised young people's energy and awareness in confronting climate change. She called for them to be supported and for the Commonwealth, governments, businesses, communities and individuals to "match words and good intentions with deeds."