Thunberg hits out at ‘blah, blah, blah’ world leaders
YOUTH climate activists Greta Thunberg and Vanessa Nakate have chastised global leaders for failing to meet funding pledges and for delivering too much “blah blah blah” as climate change wreaks havoc around the world.
The activists even cast doubt on the intentions behind the youth climate gathering in Milan, where they were speaking.
Around 400 climate activists from 180 countries were invited to Italy’s financial capital for a three-day Youth4Climate summit that will send its recommendations to Cop26, a major United Nations climate summit in Glasgow that begins on October 31.
Participants at the Milan summit are demanding more accountability from leaders as well as a bigger official role for young people.
Swedish activist Ms Thunberg said: “They invite cherry-picked young people to pretend they are listening to us.
“But they are not. They are clearly not listening to us. Just look at the numbers. Emissions are still rising. The science doesn’t lie. Leaders like to say: ‘We can do it.’ They obviously don’t mean it. But we do.”
Ms Nakate, a 24-year-old activist from Uganda, said pledges of €100bn (£85.5bn) a year to help countries particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change have not materialised, even as wildfires in California and Greece and floods in Germany and Belgium show that “loss and damage is now possible everywhere”.
She said: “In fact, funds were promised by 2020, and we are still waiting.
“No more empty conferences. It’s time to show us the money. It’s time, it’s time, it’s time. And don’t forget to listen to the most affected people and areas.”
Ms Nakata dramatically underlined how climate change is affecting the African continent, “which is ironic given that Africa is the lowest emitter of CO₂ emissions of any continent except Antarctica”.
Just last week, she said she saw police taking away a body that had been washed away by violent storms in the Ugandan capital of Kampala, while others searched for more victims.
Her mother told her that one man dragged off by the water had been trying to save the goods he was selling from being washed away.
Ms Nakata collapsed in tears after her emotional speech, receiving comfort from Ms Thunberg, who followed her to a podium that was too tall for her small stature.
Ms Thunberg, who coalesced the global protest movement Fridays for Future, insisted it is not too late to reverse climate trends.
However, she has clearly heard enough from leaders, whom she said have been talking for 30 years while half of all carbon emissions have occurred since 1990 – and one third since 2005.
She said: “Our hopes and dreams drown in their empty words and promises. Of course we need constructive dialogue, but they have now had 30 years of blah, blah, blah. And where has this led us?”