'The Earth is not dying, it is being killed': Greta Thunberg at COP31

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has sharply criticised world leaders for their inaction on the climate crisis. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday (12 November) at the venue of the UN climate conference COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, she said the Earth is not dying on its own — people are killing it, and everyone knows who is responsible.

Greta said, 'The Earth is not dying, it is being killed, and we know who is responsible.' She said those who were supposed to step forward to protect people are the ones destroying the planet, and no one is coming forward to protect people.

Greta also said it is everyone's duty to stand up when people's rights are violated by states and various institutions. When human rights are threatened by states and other institutions, she said, we ourselves must speak out to protect everyone's human rights and stand against injustice with a sense of responsibility.

Climate and human rights activists from Nepal, Australia, Palestine and Canada were also present alongside Greta at the press conference. They too criticised various governments for their inaction in tackling the climate crisis. They also called for fuel supplies from Turkey to Israel to be stopped.

The speakers drew the link between the climate crisis, human rights violations and environmental destruction. Greta warned that the consequences of political inaction will not be limited to environmental disaster alone.

She said, 'We are heading towards a future where there will be more genocide and environmental destruction. Our fundamental rights will be curtailed even further. Even people's everyday necessities will one day become luxury goods.'

Greta also questioned the effectiveness of international climate talks. In her view, the fact that the situation is slipping out of control is becoming clear even on platforms such as international conferences. She said that at such conferences it is now clearer than at any time before that the situation is not under control at all.

This is the first time Greta has attended a UN climate conference since COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2021. At that conference she had criticised world leaders' climate pledges and described the talks as 'blah blah blah'. Her charge was that world leaders make promise after promise but take no effective action in reality.

Over the past few years, alongside the climate movement, Greta has also played an active role on Palestinian rights and various other human rights issues. Her presence at COP31 drew wide interest at the conference venue. After the press conference, delegates and participants from various countries crowded around to speak with her.