15-year-old calls out world leaders for not being 'mature enough' to tackle climate change

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, 15, has a searing message for world leaders who have failed to act on climate change: “You are not mature enough to tell it like it is.”

“Until you start focusing on what needs to be done, rather than what is politically possible, there is no hope,” she said at the COP24 Conference, a global climate change summit held by the United Nations. “You cannot solve a crisis unless you treat it like a crisis.”

Standing in front of diplomats from more than 200 countries, Greta, a native of Sweden, eloquently argued that leaders have taken too long to address the changing environment. “You have ignored us in the past,” she said, alluding to her fellow Generation Z activists. “You say you love your children above all else, and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes.”

The United Nations summit in Katowice, Poland, was the most significant meeting about global climate change since the Paris talks in 2015. This year’s tense conversations eventually led toward a new set of rules that will govern the Paris Agreement, a treaty that aims to curb global emissions.

“Our civilization is being sacrificed for the opportunity of a very small number of people to continue making enormous amounts of money,” Greta said. “It is the sufferings of the many which pay for the luxuries of the few.”

Her strong warnings are not being ignored this time, with Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sharing a video of Greta’s speech and calling it a “must-watch.”

The Swedish teen has had a long history of activism. Earlier this year, she organized a walkout at her school to call attention to global warming. At first, she protested alone. But soon thousands of students around the world caught wind of her actions on social media and rallied behind her. Now, led by Greta, students from Europe to Australia walk out of school every Friday to demand that adults take action to protect their future. Using hashtags like #SchoolStrike4Climate and #FridaysForFuture, these students are bringing attention to a top concern for their generation.

Greta has been doing her part to fight for the environment since she was 9 years old. “They were always talking about how we should turn off lights, save water, not throw out food,” she told the New Yorker this fall. “I asked why and they explained about climate change. And I thought this was very strange. If humans could really change the climate, everyone would be talking about it and people wouldn’t be talking about anything else. But this wasn’t happening.”

Greta is also an advocate for people with autism, which she and her sister, Beata, were diagnosed with at a young age. “I see the world a bit different, from another perspective,” she has said, adding, “I can do the same thing for hours.” Right now, she has a singular focus she made clear to all the officials gathered at the climate summit: “We have run out of excuses and we are running out of time,” she said. “We have come here to let you know that change is coming, whether you like it or not. The real power belongs to the people.”

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