Thunberg accuses leaders of killing Earth at Cop31 climate summit

Greta Thunberg delivered a forceful critique of world governments during her first appearance at the annual UN climate talks in five years. The 23 year old Swedish activist addressed delegates at the Cop31 summit in Antalya, Turkey, arguing that the planet is not merely dying but is actively being killed by those in power.

Thunberg stated that the same people expected to rescue humanity are responsible for the environmental breakdown. She urged people to act as the adults in the room and fight for human rights when states and institutions threaten them. In recent years, she has expanded her focus to include conflicts such as the war in Gaza, linking these crises to worsening global heating.

The activist warned that the world is moving toward a future with more genocides, ecocides, and compromised basic rights. She noted that basic necessities are becoming luxuries and that the situation is further from being under control than ever before. Her intervention took place on the fourth day of the two week summit, which is being jointly presided over by Turkey and Australia.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was the only G7 leader to attend the talks. He described the record hot summer in the UK as abnormal and emphasized that the climate crisis is currently devastating lives and livelihoods. Burnham promised that the UK would reach net zero emissions and supported a proposal for countries to further electrify their economies.

Beth John, a climate justice adviser at Oxfam GB, said Burnham's presence sends a positive signal. However, she cautioned that showing up is not enough and that substantive action is required. She argued that the real test of climate leadership is delivery rather than declarations.

A key point of contention at the talks is the electrification goal. Some countries want the agreement text to specify that electricity must be derived from clean energy sources. Campaigners have criticized governments for the slow pace of emissions cuts and for failing to agree on a phaseout of fossil fuels.

A report by Climate Action Tracker found that current policies will heat the planet by 2.7C by the end of the century. This projection is slightly higher than last year's estimates and well above the 1.5C target promised by world leaders. On Thursday, delegates heard accounts of the harm caused by the climate crisis, including a disaster in Nepal.

Gita Chaudhary, Nepal's environment minister, recounted a landslide in August caused by a melting glacier that claimed more than 1,500 lives. She described the event as a mountain tsunami and stated that while infrastructure can be rebuilt, the communities, culture, and lives lost cannot be revived.

Mohammad Mustafa, the prime minister of Palestine, received a standing ovation for describing the environmental impact of the three year war with Israel. He said that restrictions on access to land, water, and resources had compounded climate challenges. Widespread destruction in Gaza, including damage to water, sewage, and farmland, has worsened environmental and health risks.

The United States did not send a formal delegation to the summit. Donald Trump has withdrawn the country from the international climate framework and described climate science as a hoax. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry, who traveled to Turkey with Democratic members of Congress and state governors, criticized Trump's stance. California Governor Gavin Newsom warned that the final two years of the Trump presidency would likely see a doubling down on current climate policies.