Greta Thunberg calls Glasgow climate summit a failure

The young activist led a demonstration in Glasgow city center demanding real action from world leaders to curb climate change.

Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish activist, harshly criticized the 26th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26), which was held last week in Glasgow, Scotland. During a protest in George Square, Thunberg exclaimed that "it is no secret that COP26 is a failure".

The activist, during the rally, organized by Fridays for Future Scotland, a group of young people inspired by Thunberg, said that it is necessary for governments to make "immediate and drastic cuts in carbon emissions".

He added that it is illogical for governments to try to end the crisis of climate change using the methods that have been used for years, which are also the same that have caused the crisis we are experiencing in the climate.

Similarly, Thunberg pointed out that those in power will be able to continue living in "their fantasy bubble", while they wait for technological solutions to appear "out of nowhere" to erase the crisis.

During his speech at the protest, he added that the UN summit, like previous years, was a two-week celebration that will not make anything change, and will only create loopholes that will allow those in power to benefit.

Other young people spoke at the rally, such as 14-year-old Charlie O'Rourke, who urged the leaders who attended COP26 to listen to the people, what the planet really needs and not just seek financial gain.

More than a hundred thousand people marched

Another demonstration was called in the city of Glasgow, called "World Day of Action for Climate Justice", to demand that private companies and the world's governments take more action against climate change.

According to what was reported by the BBC, more than 100,000 people participated in this demonstration. The protest was also called in 100 other countries such as Australia, Turkey, Kenya, Brazil, Canada and France.

Ugandan activist Vanessa Nakate, in Glasgow, called on citizens to take action and demand that the climate crisis be stopped, as leaders are not doing their part on this issue. He asserted that when governments see crowds demanding action, then they will make the decisions.

COP26 commitments

For two weeks, world leaders will meet in the city of Glasgow to discuss the various issues of COP26.

In this first week, the Heads of State and Government have committed to taking actions to stop deforestation, put an end to the financing of fossil fuels, eliminate the use of coal and reduce methane emissions.

However, according to experts on the subject of climate change, despite the commitment of governments to carry out these reductions, much more is needed to prevent the Earth's temperature from rising to more than 1.5 °C in the coming years, since once that barrier is surpassed, droughts, floods and storms will increase; it is also expected that the sea level will rise, which will cause the displacement of millions of people.

COP26 has been considered by many as the opportunity to stop global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, so world leaders have in their hands the opportunity to change the terrifying future that awaits the planet with the phenomena that are caused for climate change.

Contradictions of COP26

As world leaders debate measures to curb global warming and prevent climate change from continuing to cause negative effects on the planet at all costs, a double standard is evident.

And it is that the high-level assistants have used at least 400 private planes. And according to the British newspaper Daily Mail, only on Tuesday 41 private jets were used to carry out transfers of important figures in the world.

The problem with these air transports is that they generate a high negative environmental impact.

The BBC explains that a flight from Rome to Glasgow, which takes about two hours and 45 minutes, requires at least 2,813 liters of fuel, which causes an emission of 7.1 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Experts explain that commercial flights also emit carbon dioxide, however, they affirm that using private flights generates more air traffic, and therefore there are more planes expelling the gas that affects the atmosphere.

For this reason, they have said that it is ironic, that while at COP26 they urge the world to use electric cars, which are more friendly to the planet, the leaders carry out their transfers in the private planes that generate more pollution.

The President of the United States, Joe Biden freed part of his responsibility by committing to change the vehicles that his government uses for electric cars, although the action seems to be after the summit ends, since the 85 cars that he is using in Glasgow that they use fuel.