She added, bluntly, “You are failing us, But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you, and if you choose to fail us, I say, we will never forgive you."
At the beginning of the UN’s Climate Action Summit in UN headquarters, Thunberg was speaking directly to dozens of Heads of State and Government, business leaders, and senior representatives from civil society from around the world, who lined up to promise far-reaching steps to beat climate change, at the day-long event, held at the Organization’s New York headquarters.
The build-up to the Summit has included the latest scientific report of potentially catastrophic global warming, unprecedented demonstrations for climate action, and a steady drumbeat of pressure from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who demanded that world leaders come to New York with “bold action and much greater ambition”.
Launching the Summit, he added “We have had enough talk. “This is not a climate negotiation summit. You don’t negotiate with nature. This is a climate action summit.”
Guterres reiterated the urgency and importance of the situation, describing the man-made climate change as an existential threat when he warned “if we don’t urgently change our way of life, we jeopardize life itself”, but insisted that he is hopeful that this enormous global challenge can be overcome, according to UN News.
The fact that so many governments, cities and businesses attended the Summit with enhanced climate commitments was testament, said the Secretary-General, to their leadership, and investment in a green future.
And the solutions and technology already exist, he said, to deal with more than 70 per cent of today’s emissions.