ANTALYA, Turkey — Climate activist Greta Thunberg arrived at the U.N. climate talks in Antalya on Tuesday, issuing a blistering condemnation of the annual proceedings. Branding the conference a platform for hypocrisy, the Swedish activist urged world leaders to abandon their focus on corporate profits and geopolitical maneuvering in favor of urgent, systemic action for the planet.
Thunberg’s arrival at COP31 marks her return to the high-level U.N. summit circuit for the first time since 2021, when she famously dismissed the promises of global leaders as “blah, blah, blah.” Speaking to media gathered in the Turkish resort city, she did not mince words regarding the structural failures of the negotiations.
“It’s a hypocrisy every year that the host countries are given an opportunity to whitewash themselves, and we know that these negotiations are filled with lobbyists, paid by the very destructive industries which are benefiting from our extremely violent status quo,” Thunberg said. “Our political and economic systems have become incompatible with human nature.”
The COP31 conference arrives at a volatile time, following a year defined by catastrophic heat waves, record-breaking floods, and fresh energy price shocks exacerbated by the ongoing war in Iran. The location has drawn particular scrutiny; while Turkey and co-host Australia have publicly promoted initiatives like rooftop solar and renewable expansion, both nations remain heavily reliant on coal-fired electricity. This pattern reflects a broader trend of summits hosted by major fossil fuel producers, including recent meetings held in the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, and Brazil.
“Climate change is threatening everything,” Thunberg warned. “Everything and everyone we love is at stake. We should act to protect and benefit people rather than constantly sacrificing the global majority and the very planet we are all living on, for a fortunate few to keep making unimaginable profits.”
Turkey’s stated objective for this summit involves a push for global electrification, aiming to shift transportation, buildings, and heavy industry away from fossil fuels. The host nation has set a target for electricity to account for 35% of global energy consumption by 2035—a significant increase from the current 23%—with a heavy emphasis on wind and solar power.
Acknowledging the incremental nature of these targets, Thunberg expressed a pragmatic, albeit weary, outlook. “We have to take the victories we have, of course, because we are so desperate in this situation that we have to take all the positive signs we can get to save as much as we can still save,” she said.
Thunberg’s presence has galvanized the youth activist contingent at the summit. For many, her arrival serves as a necessary disruptor in a space often dominated by state-sanctioned rhetoric and industrial lobbying.
“In this time of heightened geopolitical tensions, I hope that Greta’s presence here reminds us of why we started this work in the first place: to push for meaningful change, hold decision-makers accountable, and work towards a better future for all of humanity,” said Amber Turner, 26, a fellow with the Alliance of Small Island States.
As the talks progress toward their November 20 conclusion, the pressure from youth delegates continues to mount. Protesters on the ground have already begun calling for increased climate financing, while voicing skepticism regarding the global pivot toward nuclear energy.
For many young attendees, the summit is less a diplomatic exercise and more a fight for their inheritance. As Qiyun Woo, a youth environmentalist from Singapore, noted, Thunberg’s participation bolsters a global movement of young people already “actively fighting for their communities, homes, and collective future.”
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