Greta Thunberg Denounces COP31 as Hypocritical, Warns 'Everything and Everyone We Love is at Stake'

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has sharply criticized the United Nations climate talks, labeling them hypocritical and urging global leaders to prioritize people and the planet over profits and power. Thunberg voiced these strong sentiments on Tuesday upon her arrival at the COP31 conference, held in the Turkish resort city of Antalya.

"It’s a hypocrisy every year that the host countries are given an opportunity to whitewash themselves and we know that these negotiations are filled with lobbyists, paid by the very destructive industries which are benefiting from our extremely violent status quo," Thunberg stated. She added, "Our political and economic systems that have become incompatible with human nature."

The conference follows a year marked by severe climate-related disasters, including devastating heatwaves and floods, alongside an energy crisis exacerbated by the US-Israel war on Iran. While COP31 co-hosts Turkiye and Australia are advocating for renewable energy and rooftop solar installations, both nations remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels, particularly coal, for their electricity generation. Notably, past host nations such as Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan are significant oil producers.

Thunberg emphasized the pervasive threat of climate change, warning that "everything and everyone we love is at stake." She implored, "We should act to protect and benefit people rather than constantly sacrificing the global majority and the very planet we are all living on, for a fortunate few to keep making unimaginable profits and maintaining geopolitical power."

Thunberg first gained international recognition in 2018 as a 15-year-old, initiating a solo "School Strike for Climate" protest outside the Swedish parliament. The Antalya summit marks her first attendance at a UN Climate Change Conference since the 2021 Glasgow talks, where she famously dismissed leaders' commitments as "blah, blah, blah." Her activism extends to other causes, including the Free Palestine movement and support for French students protesting for increased school resources.

Her arrival in Antalya has generated considerable enthusiasm among many young climate activists present at COP31, who are demanding greater climate finance. Amber Turner, a 26-year-old fellow with the Alliance of Small Island States, expressed her hope that Thunberg's presence would serve as a reminder of the movement's origins and its goals. "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," Turner told The Associated Press news agency.

Qiyun Woo, a youth environmentalist from Singapore, described Thunberg’s presence as "powerful" and noted that it amplifies the voices of a generation that will bear the consequences of these negotiations. COP31 is scheduled to conclude in Antalya on November 20. The subsequent conference, COP32, is slated to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in November 2027.