Greta Thunberg slams UN climate COPs as ‘greenwashed circuses’

Climate activist Greta Thunberg harshly criticized the United Nations' annual climate summits, describing them as "greenwashed circuses" upon her arrival in Turkey for COP31. Thunberg, who had not attended the climate conferences since Glasgow in 2021, expressed her disappointment in the process that has yielded few major breakthroughs in recent years.

Fossil fuel-producing nations often hinder progress and delay actions on cutting emissions. Despite her criticism, Thunberg emphasized the importance of the climate summits, stating that they still provide an opportunity to mobilize people and mobilize them to push for necessary actions. She highlighted the urgency of addressing climate disasters that scientists and frontline communities have been warning about for decades.

However, Thunberg also acknowledged that COPs alone are not enough to prevent a climate catastrophe. Observers anticipate few significant developments from COP31, as countries grapple with an oil price shock and geopolitical tensions stemming from the US war with Iran and Russia's conflict in Ukraine.