Not phasing out fossil fuels a ‘death sentence for countless people’: Greta Thunberg

By failing to phase out polluting fossil fuels, rich countries are signing a death sentence for the world’s poor, prominent climate activist Greta Thunberg has told governments.

The 20-year-old from Sweden recently stressed the need for a “rapid and equitable” phaseout of fossil fuels in order to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

She raised warnings against the annual carbon emissions being at an all-time high. “It is what we decide now that will define the rest of humanity’s future,” the activist told a press conference at the ongoing UN talks in Bonn, Germany.

Bonn Climate Talks

The discussions started last Monday and will end on Thursday. Governments are meeting to find solutions to the climate crisis. But progress at the event has so far been slow.

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Last week’s discussions were characterised by disputes over developed nations that are failing to assist developing countries financially, in order to help them cut their carbon emissions and cope with the disastrous impacts of the climate emergency.

Thunberg Graduates High School

Last Friday, Greta Thunberg declared the end of her school strikes as she graduated. The climate activist had been undertaking the strikes on Fridays since 2018 in protest at political inaction on the climate crisis.

Nevertheless, despite graduating high school, she intends to continue partaking in weekly protests and speak out on climate issues, while also bringing youth voices from the developing world under the spotlight.

Regularly Condemns Inaction

In addition to her climate strikes, the campaigner also regularly criticises politicians and governments for not properly tackling the climate crisis.

Towards the end of March this year, she condemned an “unprecedented betrayal” from world leaders after the publication of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.