Climate activist Greta Thunberg arrived at the COP31 summit in Antalya, Turkey, on Tuesday and immediately condemned the talks as hypocritical, accusing world leaders of prioritizing corporate interests over people and the planet.
Swedish Activist Claims Lobbyists Whitewash Environmental Credentials
The 23-year-old Swedish activist didn’t hold back when speaking to reporters.
She claimed the annual event serves as a platform for nations to whitewash their environmental credentials while maintaining a heavy reliance on fossil fuels. “It’s a hypocrisy every year that the host countries are given an opportunity to whitewash themselves,” Thunberg stated.
“These negotiations are filled with lobbyists, paid by the very destructive industries which are benefiting from our extremely violent status quo.”
A Return to the UN Stage
Her appearance in the Turkish resort city marks her first time at a UN climate summit since COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, where she famously dismissed world leaders’ pledges as “blah, blah, blah.”
Thunberg argued that current political and economic systems are fundamentally incompatible with human nature and directly linked them to the escalating climate crisis.
“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,” she said.
Targeting Turkey’s Fossil Fuel Reliance
Thunberg squarely targeted the host nation, noting that Turkey and co-host Australia heavily rely on fossil fuels like coal for electricity generation despite promoting solar projects. She also pointed out that previous host nations included major oil producers such as Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile, Turkey is pushing for a global electrification goal at the summit. The nation aims for electricity to make up 35 per cent of global energy consumption by 2035—up from 23 per cent today—using wind and solar to transition sectors like transport, buildings, and heavy industry away from fossil fuels.
Youth Activists Rally at COP31
Despite her scathing critique, Thunberg acknowledged that some progress is worth celebrating.
“We have to take the victories we have, of course, because we are so desperate in this situation that we have to take all the positive signs we can get to save as much as we can still save,” she said.
Her arrival energized young campaigners.
Amber Turner, a 26-year-old fellow with the Alliance of Small Island States, expressed hope that Thunberg’s presence would refocus delegates on the movement’s core purpose amid mounting climate anxiety. Other youth representatives emphasized that activists from vulnerable communities are already fighting to defend their homes, while ongoing protests demand increased climate finance and push back against nuclear energy solutions.
Looking Ahead to COP32
The Antalya talks are scheduled to run until November 20. Looking further ahead, Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, is already confirmed to host COP32 in November 2027.
