Greta Thunberg calls out 3 decades of 'blah, blah, blah' on climate change

Launching a scathing attack on world leaders and organisations over the issue of climate change, environmental activist Greta Thunberg on Monday said that world leaders speak of an existential climate emergency and yet instead of taking action, they set up "hypothetical distance targets, way into the future."

Speaking at the Davos Agenda Summit, the young climate activist said, "My name is Greta Thunberg and I am not here to make deals. You see, I don't belong to any financial interest or political party so I can't bargain or negotiate. I am here to once again remind you of the emergency we are in. The crisis that you and your predecessors have inflicted upon us."

"The crisis that you continue to ignore. I am here to remind you of the promises that you have made to your children and grandchildren and to tell you that we are not willing to compromise on the minimum safety levels that still remain," she said.

Citing the current scientific knowledge on climate change, she said: "The climate and ecological crisis can no longer be solved within today's systems. According to the current best available science that's no longer an opinion, it's a fact. And we need to keep this in mind as countries, businesses and investors now rush forward to present their ambitious climate targets and commitments."

"The longer we avoid this uncomfortable truth and longer we pretend that we can solve the climate and ecological emergency without treating it as an emergency, the more precious time we will lose. And this is time we do not have," she added.

Over the emission targets set by the world bodies, Greta said, "Today, we hear leaders all over the world speak of an existential climate emergency and yet instead of taking action you would in an emergency, they set up vague, hypothetical distance targets, way into the future. Target based on loopholes and incomplete numbers. Target like net-zero emissions 2050. Targets that equal surrender."

"We understand that the world is a complex place and that change doesn't happen overnight. But you now have had more than three decades of blah blah blah. How many more do you need?" she asked.