Greta Thunberg condemns COP31 talks as hypocritical upon arrival in Turkey

Greta Thunberg condemned the proceedings as hypocritical upon arriving at the summit, marking her first appearance at the annual United Nations climate talks since she famously dismissed leadership promises as empty rhetoric.

The COP31 conference opened in the Turkish resort city of Antalya, following a grueling 12-month period marked by deadly climate-related disasters such as severe heat waves and floods, alongside an additional energy shock triggered by war in the Middle East. According to reporting by the Associated Press via Newsday, Thunberg did not mince words regarding the structural integrity of the global summit.

Media additions

"It’s a hypocrisy every year that the host countries are given an opportunity to whitewash themselves and we know that these negotiations are filled with lobbyists, paid by the very destructive industries which are benefiting from our extremely violent status quo"

Greta Thunberg, Climate Activist, via Twincities

Thunberg further stated that political and economic systems have become completely incompatible with human nature. She warned that climate change is threatening everything, asserting that everyone and everything people love is at stake. She argued that actions should protect and benefit humanity instead of sacrificing the global majority and the planet for a fortunate few to maintain geopolitical power and amass unimaginable profits.

The summit is co-hosted by Turkey and Australia. Both nations actively promote renewable energy initiatives, including rooftop solar installations, yet both countries continue to rely heavily on fossil fuels—particularly coal—for electricity generation. This dynamic mirrors previous summits hosted by major oil producers such as Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan, against whose hosting Thunberg previously protested.

A central objective highlighted for Turkey at the summit is global electrification. The host nation aims to shift heavy industry, buildings, and transportation away from fossil fuels and toward electricity. Specifically, Turkey wants electricity generated from renewable sources like wind and solar to account for a larger share of global energy consumption in the coming decade, rising from current levels to a targeted future threshold.

Global Energy Metric	Current Share	Target Share (by 2035)
Electricity from renewables (solar/wind) in global energy consumption	23%	35%

Despite her trenchant criticisms of the summit's framework and corporate lobbying, Thunberg acknowledged a degree of pragmatism regarding the negotiations. As reported by the Associated Press, she noted that participants must accept positive signs and victories where they can be found due to the severity of the ecological crisis. Her presence electrified youth climate advocates gathered on the ground in Antalya, who staged separate demonstrations demanding increased climate finance while simultaneously criticizing a growing international interest in nuclear energy.

Amber Turner, a fellow with the Alliance of Small Island States, expressed hope that Thunberg's presence during a period of heightened geopolitical tensions would remind attendees of the fundamental purpose behind climate advocacy: holding decision-makers accountable and pushing for meaningful change. Kamori Osthananda, a youth negotiator representing Thailand’s delegation, described the activist's presence as symbolic and expressed hope that it would heap pressure on the COP itself to deliver real implementation and action. Qiyun Woo, a youth environmentalist from Singapore, emphasized that Thunberg's voice echoes the demands of an entire generation inheriting the consequences of these high-level political negotiations.

Meanwhile, Thunberg's return to the summit circuit revives a legacy of direct engagement that began when she initiated her solitary school strikes outside the Swedish Parliament. Her recent activism has spanned multiple international causes, including environmental protests in Georgia, advocacy for Palestinian rights in London, and support for striking students in France.

What to watch next

• The U.N. Climate talks in Antalya are scheduled to continue running through Nov. 20, where negotiations over climate finance and electrification targets remain ongoing.
• Delegates and observers are already looking ahead to future gatherings, with COP32 formally scheduled to take place in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, in November 2027.