Fearless Greta Thunberg has slammed the UK, saying it is a “lie that the UK is a climate leader”.
Recently Boris Johnson said the “UK has managed to reduce its CO2 emissions by about 42% on 1990 levels” – a claim Ms Thunberg has rejected.
Thunberg said: “if you don’t include all emissions then the statistics are going to look much nicer”, suggesting things like aviation, shipping, and the burning of biomass have not been taken into account.
“I’m really hoping that we stop referring to the UK as a climate leader, because if you look at the reality that is simply not true,” she said.
She added the UK is “very good at creative carbon accounting” but that “doesn’t mean much in practice”.
The comments will cause discomfort within the UK government as it prepares to host COP26 in Glasgow later this month.
It comes as a new UNICEF report found that around 1 billion of the world’s 2.2 billion children live in countries classified by UNICEF as being at “extremely high risk” of the impacts of the climate crisis.
School strikes
Today she also tweeted a series of messages about the school strike.
“We kids most often don’t do what you tell us to do. We do as you do. And since you grown-ups don’t give a damn about my future, I won’t either. My name is Greta and I’m in ninth grade. And I am school striking for the climate until election day.” 1/3
”We kids most often don’t do what you tell us to do. We do as you do. And since you grown-ups don’t give a damn about my future, I won’t either. My name is Greta and I’m in ninth grade. And I am school striking for the climate until election day.” 1/3 https://t.co/LrRgTD2rmE pic.twitter.com/UQPFjzTjV2
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) August 20, 2021
“This is what I wrote exactly 3 years ago – August 20th 2018 – during the first day of the school strike. 3 years later I am still here, but alongside millions from all over the world. Since the first school strike the world has emitted over 120 billion tonnes of CO2. 2/3”
This is what I wrote exactly 3 years ago – August 20th 2018 – during the first day of the school strike. 3 years later I am still here, but alongside millions from all over the world.
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) August 20, 2021
Since the first school strike the world has emitted over 120 billion tonnes of CO2. 2/3
“The changes necessary are still nowhere in sight. This crisis has still never once been treated as a crisis. But people are waking up and demanding climate justice. And we’ll always continue the fight for our future and present. We have no other choice. 3/3”
The changes necessary are still nowhere in sight. This crisis has still never once been treated as a crisis. But people are waking up and demanding climate justice. And we’ll always continue the fight for our future and present. We have no other choice. 3/3#FridaysForFuture
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) August 20, 2021
Reactions
As ever there was a lot of support for her online…
1.
Thanks Greta for your commitment which you have sustained and your action has inspired millions. Our present system of never ending economic growth has to change or it will destroy us.
— Noel Buckley (@nollaigobuachal) August 20, 2021
2.
Please continue. Your cause is correct and just. The adults that oppose you only do so because of either guilt or greed.
— Scott Elaurant (@ElaurantScott) August 20, 2021
3.
Well done, Greta.
— SHEILA DEEGAN (@deegandeegan11) August 20, 2021
Took a girl to show the world that we need to change our behaviour to save our planet.
4.
Greta, you are so inspiring, most of us have capacity and resources to engage in quest for ~ Stopping~ the escalating trend of " environmental degration which renders negative #climatechange.
— Jayson?️ (@Jayson02091303) August 20, 2021
It's my prayer that your voice will be heard and actions taken forthwith.
5.
Please don’t stop your generation is our only hope! ? pic.twitter.com/vrtF9RY4LD
— Coco the Canadian Socialist Rat?? ?? (@RJ_Macnaughton) August 20, 2021
Related: Greta Thunberg: Ethical fast fashion is ‘almost always pure greenwashing’