Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg arrived in Antalya on Tuesday to attend the United Nations climate conference COP31, where she delivered a scathing critique of the talks and the host countries’ approach to climate action.
Thunberg slammed the conference as a yearly “hypocrisy” that allows host nations to “whitewash themselves” while lobbyists from destructive industries continue to influence negotiations. She warned that the current political and economic systems are “incompatible with human nature” and that climate change threatens “everything and everyone we love.”
While Turkiye and Australia—COP31’s co‑hosts—promote renewable energy and rooftop solar, both countries still depend heavily on fossil fuels, especially coal, for electricity generation. The criticism is not limited to the hosts; previous COP hosts such as Brazil, the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan have been major oil producers.
Thunberg’s remarks came after a year marked by deadly climate‑related disasters, including heatwaves, floods and an energy shock triggered by the US‑Israel war on Iran. She urged world leaders to shift focus from profits and power to protecting people and the planet, arguing that “the global majority and the very planet we are all living on” are being sacrificed for the benefit of a fortunate few.
Since her rise to prominence in 2018 with the “School Strike for Climate,” Thunberg has become a prominent voice in global environmental advocacy. Her presence in Antalya—her first COP attendance since the 2021 Glasgow talks—has energized youth activists demanding increased climate finance.
“I hope that Greta’s presence here reminds us of why we started this work in the first place: to push for meaningful change, hold decision‑makers accountable, and work towards a better future for all of humanity,” said Amber Turner, a 26‑year‑old fellow with the Alliance of Small Island States.
Qiyun Woo, a youth environmentalist from Singapore, added that Thunberg’s “powerful” presence “adds to calls from a generation that inherits the consequences of these negotiations.”
COP31 will run in Antalya until November 20, with the next conference, COP32, scheduled for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in November 2027.
Source: Al Jazeera
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