In what was perhaps her most impassioned and impressive speech to date, Thunberg didn’t mince words as she told the attendees of the UN Climate Summit they were “not mature enough to tell it like it is”.
“For more than 30 years the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you are doing enough, when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight,” she said.
The speech came as more than 50 world leaders (with the exception of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison) gathered at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday.
“You all come to me for hope? How dare you. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” Thunberg continued.
“Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.”
My full speech in United Nations General Assembly. #howdareyou https://t.co/eKZXDqTAcP— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) September 23, 2019
Her message to world leaders at the climate summit is crystal clear: young people are watching you, act now or never be forgiven.
“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. We will not let you get away with this.”
“Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.”
Andrew Highman, the chief executive of global climate action lobby group Mission 2020, said representatives from other countries were taking note of Australia’s absence from the event.
“It is really obvious who is absent from the room,” he said. “Everyone is well aware that Australia has not made good on its promises in Paris to scale up its commitment to climate action.”