Modes of persuasion

In his speech at the COP 26 Launch, Boris Johnson uses all three modes of persuasion.

Logos

Boris Johnson uses logos to appeal to reason, by quoting factual information and statistics. This becomes especially clear when Johnson mentions some of the successes that the UK has previously had in its fight against climate change.

if you look at what this country has done, since 1990 – cutting CO2 by 42 per cent and at the same time seeing a 73% increase in the GDP of this country […] in 1990, 70 per cent of the power of this country came from coal. It’s now down to 3 per cent – and we want to get it to zero by 2024. (ll.82-86)

In this example, Johnson gives factual evidence to support his claim that it is possible to use practices that help reduce pollution and the effects of climate change. By mentioning the 73% increase in the GDP, Johnson wants t...