Greta Thunberg denounced world leaders for failing to act on climate change in a foul-mouthed tirade to her fellow Cop26 protesters today.
Government representatives have gathered in Glasgow to discuss green issues this week, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson using his opening address to compare the situation to James Bond trying to diffuse a ‘doomsday device’.
The event was organized to encourage international cooperation on climate change.
Miss Thunberg, an 18-year-old activist, told protestors outside the conference that the heads of government weren’t doing enough to save the planet.
Speaking to demonstrators at Festival Park, Glasgow, on the first day of the Cop26 summit, she said: ‘No more blah blah blah, no more whatever the f*** they are doing inside there.’
She continued, “Inside Cop, there is only politicians and people at power pretending they take our future seriously, pretending they take the present serious.”
‘Change is not going to come from inside there, that is not leadership – this is leadership… We say no more blah blah blah, no more exploitation of people and the planet.
Greta Thunberg and other climate activists demonstrate at Festival Park, Glasgow on the first day Cop26 summit
Miss Thunberg stated to demonstrators that heads of government are not doing enough for the planet to avoid disaster.
Speaking to demonstrators outside the Cop26 summit in Glasgow, she said: ‘No more blaa blaa blaa, no more whatever the f*** they are doing inside there’
“We are tired and sick of it, and we care about making the change. We don’t want them to get away with it.
Boris Johnson warned Cop26 attendees that the longer it takes climate change to be tackled, the more costly it will become when a ‘catastrophe forces world leaders to take action.
Addressing world leaders such as the US President Joe Biden and India’s NarendraModi, the German chancellor Angela Merkel and the Indian prime minister, Mr Johnson said that the world was in a similar position to James Bond trying to deactivate the doomsday device he uses in his films.
He said, “The tragedy is that this isn’t a movie and that the doomsday device’ is real.”
Greta Thunberg used a phrase to warn that the Paris Agreement promises to limit global temperature increases would be ‘nothing except blahblahblah’ and that the world’s anger will be uncontained unless Cop26 is the moment they get serious about climate change.
Miss Thunberg recently lashed out at Britain and other nations for their ’empty promises and words’. She accused them of giving too many ‘blahblahblah’ rather than offering any real action.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, met Miss Thunberg today at Cop26. The meeting was held following the arrival of Swedish environmental activist, Erika Lundström, in Scotland.
Ms Thunberg, along with Vanessa Nakate, a fellow campaigner from Uganda, met Monday morning with the First Minister. He tweeted: The voices of young people such as @GretaThunberg or @vanessa-vash should be heard loudly at Cop26. The next few days shouldn’t be comfortable for leaders. Leaders must take responsibility and act.
Ms Thunberg had previously criticised the Scottish Government’s policies on climate change, stating that it was ‘not a leader’ in the field of climate change.
Scotland pledged to reduce its emissions by 75% by 2030, and be net-zero by 2045. However, the targets for the last three years have not been met.
Nicola Sturgeon stated that the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow should make world leaders feel ‘bloody uncomfortable’ about not doing enough to combat global warming.
As the crucial summit began, Ms Sturgeon insisted that every climate promise must be kept. Honestly, none of them are being kept at the moment.
At an event hosted by WWF, she spoke about how she had just met Ms Thunberg as well as Vanessa Nakate from Uganda.
Ms. Sturgeon stated that these voices, including mine, can be really uncomfortable at times because they force us to face the hard truths of our lack of delivery.
“But my goodness they’re so important to shake the gatherings which will take place here over a few days out from the sense of complacency surrounding them too often.
She added: “If we are only willing to face the easy, relatively easy things, we will not get anywhere.” This must be a moment when all leaders, regardless of their position at the negotiating table, are held accountable for the reality of what they promise, not just the rhetoric.
Ms Sturgeon called on campaigners to make it uncomfortable for any government and any leader that isn’t doing enough as leaders from more than 100 countries gathered in Glasgow.
She said, “We all have to be pushed harder and faster.” Anyone in a leadership or responsibility position should not find this summit comfortable. It should be uncomfortable because no one is doing enough.
Greta Thunberg and other climate activists at a Festival Park, Glasgow demonstration
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Secretary (C) poses for a picture during her meeting at COP26 with climate activists Greta Thunberg and Vanessa Nakate.
Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, warned ahead of the summit that failure in Glasgow could result in the Paris Agreement of 2015, where leaders promised to work towards keeping the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.
Johnson stated that if Glasgow fails, then the whole thing fails.
“The Paris Agreement will have crumbled at the first reckoning.”
The First Minister stated that leaders should not be concerned about their egos and should instead work towards a consensus.
She said, “I hope we can all forget our egos over the next few days in order to get the outcome we need, that’s exactly what I am committed too – I’ve stated that to the Prime Minister, (Cop26 President Alok Sharma),’
“We’ve all got big responsibility here. If ever there’s an opportunity for everyone to put their political interest aside, their egos should be put aside and they just need to focus.
“It’s easy for people to exaggerate things sometimes, but this is literally the future of the planet. Are we going to step up to save the planet or will we accept a pretty grim outlook on the planet?
Emmanuel Macron, French President, speaks during the opening ceremony for Cop26 at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow
Joe Biden seemed to be asleep as another speaker stressed the importance of acting to save the climate.
Prince Charles has called for a’military-style’ campaign to mobilize trillions in private sector cash to save our precious planet.
But she highlighted that countries such as Scotland, even though they do not have their own place at the Cop26 negotiating table, still have a’massive’ role to play in tackling the climate crisis.
Ms. Sturgeon said that she wasn’t going to reveal any secrets when she said that she would prefer Scotland be around the negotiating tables here in her own right, pushing ahead, but that shortfall means we need to make sure our efforts are as effective as possible.
She declared that Scotland was a “world leader” in climate action. However, she said that the bar for world leadership was set too low at the moment so it doesn’t require enough to be a global leader.
She said that Scotland had failed to meet its emission reduction targets over the past three years and that the country must ‘up our ambition and deliver against that ambition’.
She also said that Scotland had a big part to play in bringing together regions and cities.
“So if we don’t play our part, the world won’t get to where it needs be.”
But she said: “That doesn’t allow the countries that will be around the negotiating table to get off the hook. They have to absolutely step forward and do everything that’s required of them.
Channelling his hero Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: ‘While Cop26 would not be the end of climate change, it can and it must mark the beginning of the end.’
After watching a performance by Skye Piper Brighde Chaimbeul by the delegates, Mr Johnson took to stage to give his speech. The video was narrated briefly by Brian Cox, and a poem by Yrsa Danley-Ward was written for Cop26.
The Cop26 summit is being attended by around 120 heads-of-state and government. This summit will be the beginning of the Cop26 talks. It will provide an opportunity for countries to discuss ways to increase their efforts to combat dangerous warming in the next decade.