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Greta Thunberg and Global South Activists Condemn Fossil Fuel Expansion at COP
Greta Thunberg and Global South Activists Condemn Fossil Fuel Expansion at COP
Climate activist Greta Thunberg returned to a UN climate summit press conference for the first time since 2021, joining voices from the Global South to condemn the ongoing expansion of fossil fuels. Speaking alongside campaigners from Gaza, Nepal, and Rwanda-DRC, Thunberg described the current political response as detached from reality while activists highlighted the immediate human cost of inaction.
"The climate crisis is already here and now – and it is already a matter of life and death," Greta Thunberg told journalists during her first press conference at a United Nations climate summit since COP26 in Glasgow in 2021. She characterized the actions of world leaders as "completely detached from reality," warning that priceless lives, ecosystems, and species are being lost irretrievably.
Thunberg framed the emergency as a crisis of injustice, noting that those least responsible for causing it are suffering the most severe and rapid impacts. To amplify this perspective, she shared the stage with activists representing regions on the front lines of both climate change and geopolitical conflict.
Mohammed Usrof, a climate activist and researcher from Gaza, directed criticism at nations continuing to supply fossil fuels to Israel. He argued that corporations are fueling not only genocide in Palestine but also global environmental devastation through the "never-ending proliferation of fossil fuels." Usrof pointed to consequences visible in Nepal, Australia, and across the Global Majority, urging attendees to recognize how their lived realities symbolize the stakes of the ongoing negotiations.
Other speakers included Sagar Dhakal, a young politician from Nepal, who stated there were no words in the dictionary to describe the catastrophic flash floods that struck his country earlier this year. The panel also featured First Nations activist Rikki Dank and Rwanda-DRC activist Celine Isimbi.
The press conference drew significant media attention, with journalists gathering closely to record the statements. Thunberg’s return to the UN summit spotlight underscores the continued pressure from youth and Global South campaigners for political accountability as global temperatures rise.
H.O.Scholz--BlnAP
