Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, 23, delivered a critical address at the Cop31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, stating that the planet is not naturally dying but is being deliberately harmed by those in power. She argued that world governments have failed in their responsibility to prevent environmental breakdown and called for individuals to take action rather than waiting for institutional rescue. Thunberg also connected the climate crisis to other global calamities, including armed conflict, and warned of a future marked by what she described as genocides, ecocides, and the erosion of fundamental human rights.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the sole G7 leader in attendance, acknowledged that climate change poses an immediate threat rather than a distant concern. He highlighted the impact of record heat on the UK and committed the country to achieving net zero emissions while supporting proposals for broader economic electrification. However, climate advocacy groups cautioned that political attendance without concrete policy commitments falls short of what is needed to address the crisis.
The summit revealed stark disparities in climate progress, with Climate Action Tracker reporting that current global policies would result in 2.7 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of the century, exceeding the 1.5 degrees target established by world leaders. Delegates heard testimony from affected nations, including Nepal’s environment minister describing the catastrophic August landslide caused by glacial melting that killed over 1,500 people. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa detailed how the three-year conflict had exacerbated environmental challenges in his territory.
Notably, the United States did not send an official delegation to the talks, with President-elect Donald Trump having withdrawn the country from international climate agreements and dismissed climate science. Former Secretary of State John Kerry attended independently with Democratic legislators and state governors, warning against the incoming administration’s climate positions. Governor Gavin Newsom of California cautioned that the final years of the Trump presidency were unlikely to produce meaningful climate policy changes.
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