Greta Thunberg on Thursday accused the Davos Forum of bringing together “the people who most fuel the destruction of the planet”judging “absurd” to listen to them and calling for a “massive public pressure” against fossil fuels.
East Davos “where are the people who fuel the destruction of the planet the most, the people who are in the middle of the climate crisis, the people who invest in fossil fuels, etc.”she noted, accusing them of putting the “greed” et “short-term economic profits above people, and above the planet”.
“We seem to be listening to them, rather than the people who are actually affected by the climate crisis, the people who live on the front lines, and that tells us how absurd the situation is.”she lamented.
“The changes we need will probably not come from within. I believe they will come from below”she said again. “Without massive public pressure from outside, … they will continue to invest in fossil fuels, they will continue to sacrifice people for their own gain.”
The Swede was taking part in an event organized on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort, with other young climate activists and the director general of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol.
“My presence here is a very important signal that I want to give to the world”said the latter.
“Climate change needs more attention”and this one “decreasing”he lamented.
And to call for much more investment in clean energy, especially in emerging countries. “There is a transition on the way, but not at the speed that we would like to see”, he said. “What I think is lacking is the international political will.”
Greta Thunberg was accompanied by three other climate activists: Ecuadorian from the Amazon Helena Gualinga, Ugandan Vanessa Nakate and German Luisa Neubauer.
They arrived in Davos with a petition launched this week calling for the multinationals to stop exploiting fossil fuels. The text had gathered more than 910,000 signatures Thursday at the start of the afternoon.
“If you do not act immediately, be warned that citizens around the world will consider legal action to hold you accountable. And we will continue to demonstrate in large numbers in the streets”proclaims the petition, which copies the appearance of a legal notice.
“A very dangerous path”
“We are taking a very dangerous path. We are already seeing how people are suffering on the pitch”highlighted Helena Gualinga. “It is completely insane to allow this (…) by investing in fossil fuels”she lambasted, denouncing “criminal behavior“.
Vanessa Nakate, who at times during her speech was on the verge of tears, also regretted the lack of attention paid to Africa. “They focus on privileged countries, leaving out communities that have suffered for decades”sometimes without even basic access to electricity.
This is not the first time that Greta Thunberg has come to Davos during the World Economic Forum meeting. The 2020 edition was notably marked by his skirmishes with US President Donald Trump.
It’s time to “panic” because “the house is burning”she was already hammering at the time.