Greta Thunberg: “We need public pressure, not just top management”

Climate activist Greta Thunberg told the BBC that the summits will not lead to action on climate targets unless the public also demands change.

In a wide-ranging interview before the COP26 climate summit, he said the public needed to “eradicate the system”.

“Change will come when people ask for change. So we can’t expect everything to happen in these conferences,” he said.

He also accused politicians of making excuses.

The COP26 Climate Summit takes place in Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, from 31 October to 12 November.

It is the largest climate change conference since historic Paris talks in 2015. About 200 countries are being asked about their plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming.

Ms. Thunberg, who recently launched a global concert series highlighting climate change, called Climate live, confirmed that he will participate in COP26. He said his message to world leaders was to “be honest”.

“Be honest about where you are, how you have failed, how you are still failing us … instead of trying to find solutions, real solutions that will actually lead somewhere, that would lead to a substantial change, a fundamental change,” told BBC’s Rebecca Morelle.

“In my opinion, the success would be that people finally began to realize the urgency of the situation and realize that we are facing an existential crisis and that we will need big changes, that we will need to eradicate the system, because that is where change will come “.

Read more about the COP26 Summit here.

Thunberg did not believe that the UK’s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to reach a net zero target by 2050 were enough, or that the UK was a climate leader.

“Unfortunately, there are no climate leaders today, especially not in the so-called global north. But that doesn’t mean they can’t suddenly decide that we’re going to take the process seriously now,” he said.

Speaking about the goals to reach net zero – which means not increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere – he said it was a “good start”, but warned that “it doesn’t mean much in practice” if people kept going. look for loopholes.

From his home in Sweden, the activist also spoke about his role as an activist.

“I don’t see myself as a climate celebrity, I see myself as a climate activist … I should be grateful because there are many, many people who don’t have a platform and who aren’t being listened to, their voices being oppressed and reduced to silence.

“I’m a completely different person when I’m in private. I don’t think people would recognize me in private. I’m not very serious in private. I look very angry in the media, but I’m silly in private.”

When asked why she sang a Rick Astley hit at the launch of Climate Live, she said it was a joke from the climate movement. He previously took part in the Internet phenomenon “rick-rolling” by tweeting what he said was a link to a new speech, but actually linked to the song’s music video.

“Why not? I mean, we have inside jokes within the climate movement, where we always fight each other.”