Swedish activist Greta Thunberg on Thursday accused the political and business elite at the World Economic Forum in Davos of “prioritizing greed and short-term profits over people and the planet.”
“Right now we are in Davos, where basically the people who are fueling the destruction of the planet the most are, the people who are at the center of the climate crisis, the people who are investing in fossil fuels, etc. And yet, in a way, it’s the people we seem to trust to solve our problems,” Thunberg said at an event hosted by CNBC.
“They have shown time and time again that they do not prioritize [a nuestros problemas]. They are prioritizing their own greed, corporate greed and short-term economic benefits over people and the planet, ”he denounced.
RELATED
Thunberg called it “absurd” that the world listens to Davos delegates and not “to those on the front lines” of the climate emergency. “The people we should be listening to are not here,” the activist said, adding that instead we are “bombarded” with messages from the people “causing this crisis.”
Watch: Greta Thunberg says the Davos elite are prioritizing greed and short-term profits over people and the planet. #wef23 pic.twitter.com/BmSRmv2wf5 — CNBC (@CNBC) January 19, 2023
In a high-level meeting held this Thursday in Davos with the director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, and together with climate activists Helena Gualinga, Luisa Neubauer and Vanessa Nakate, Thunberg called on the global energy industry and their financiers to stop all investments in fossil fuels.
During this meeting, the activists reported that they had submitted a “cease and desist” letter to the CEOs calling for an end to further oil, gas and coal extraction. In to the Order The “cease and desist” agreement, signed by Thunberg, Gualinga, Neubauer and Nakate, claims that Big Oil knew for decades that fossil fuels cause climate change and that they have misled the public and politicians.
“You must stop these activities, as they constitute a direct violation of our human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, of your duty of care and of the rights of indigenous peoples,” the order says.
“The changes will not come from within, but from without. They will go as far as they can for their own benefits,” Thunberg said, referring to fossil fuel companies. “As long as they can get away with it, they will continue to invest in fossil fuels, they will continue to throw people under the bus,” added the young Swedish woman, who was arrested a few days ago at an environmental protest in Germany against the expansion of a coal mine.
Thunberg also used the occasion to criticize the United Arab Emirates for appointing the head of its state oil company to chair this year’s Climate Summit. The Swede called it “completely ridiculous” that Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, chief executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), is chairing the next round of global climate negotiations, due to be held in Dubai in November.
According to the activist, pressure groups have been influencing these conferences “since basically forever.” “This makes it very clear,” she added. “It’s completely ridiculous.”
Responding to these comments, a COP28 spokesperson insisted that al-Jaber was “particularly qualified to bring COP28 to a successful conclusion,” The Guardian reports. “He is an energy expert and founder of one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies. [Masdar]a senior business leader, a government minister and a climate diplomat with more than 20 years of experience in taking climate action,” the spokesperson said.
During her visit to Davos, a reporter for Canada’s Rebel News, known for its climate change denialism, accused Thunberg of “posing with the police” at her arrest in Germany. “How many times did you rehearse your arrest?”, “Would you say that you are a child actress? Are you a child actress or an expert?” The journalist asked her, to which the activist responded with a laugh. “It is very likely that the German police and the fossil fuel company organized an arrest,” Thunberg said wryly with a laugh.
Another reporter from the denialist media asked him about the cold temperatures in the Swiss city. “Greta, it’s quite cold here in Davos, when can we expect some global warming?” he said, to which she also replied with a laugh.
Greta Thunberg visited Davos during the World Economic Forum and laughed off mocking questions from reporters about her activism ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/QPgT9pvWhs
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 19, 2023
