Running out

of
TIME
Greta Thunberg, Swedish Climate Activist
Greta Thunberg’s message to the World
Leaders at #DavosAgenda in Davos
2021.
My name is Greta Thunberg and I’m not here to
make deals. You see, I don’t belong to any finan-
cial interest or political party. So I can’t bargain
or negotiate. I am only here to once again re-
mind you of the emergency we’re in. The crisis
that you and your predecessors have created and
inflicted upon us. The crisis that you continue to
ignore.
vague, insufficient, hypothetical targets way into
the future, like “net-zero 2050”. Targets based
on loopholes and incomplete numbers. Targets
that equal surrender. It’s like waking up in the
middle of the night, seeing your house on fire,
then deciding to wait 10, 20 or 30 years before
you call the fire department while labeling those
trying to wake people up alarmists.

I am here to remind you of the promises that We understand that the world is very complex
you have made to your children and grandchil- and that change doesn’t happen overnight. But
dren. And to tell you’ve now
you that we are had more than
not willing to three decades
compromise on of bla bla bla.
the very mini- How many
mum safety levels more do you
that still remain. need? Because
when it comes
The climate and to facing the
ecological crisis climate and
can unfortunate- ecological
ly no longer be emergency,
solved within the world is
today’s systems. still in a state
According to of complete
the current best denial. The
available science justice for the
that is no longer most affected
an opinion; that’s people in the
a fact. most affected
We need to keep this in mind as countries, areas is being systematically denied.
businesses and investors now rush forward to Even though we welcome every single climate
present their new so-called “ambitious” climate initiative, the proposals being presented and
targets and commitments. The longer we avoid discussed today are very far from being enough.
this uncomfortable truth, and the longer we And the time for “small steps in the right direc-
pretend we can solve the climate - and ecolog- tion” is long gone. If we are to have at least a
ical emergency - without treating it like a crisis small chance of avoiding the worst consequenc-
— the more precious time we will lose. And this es of the climate and ecological crisis, this needs
is time we do not have. to change.
Today, we hear leaders and nations all over the Because you still say one thing, and then do the
world speak of an “existential climate emer- complete opposite. You speak of saving nature,
gency”. But instead of taking the immediate while locking in policies of further destruction
action you would in any emergency, they set up for decades to come.
 selling their message wins.

As it is now, we can have as many summits

and meetings as we want, but unless we treat
the climate and ecological crisis like a crisis, no
sufficient changes will be achieved. What we
need — to begin with — is to implement annu-
al binding carbon budgets based on the current
best available science.

Right now more than ever we are desperate for

hope. But what is hope? For me hope is not
more empty assurances that everything will be
alright, that things are being taken care of and
You promise to not let future generations down, we do not need to worry.
while creating new loopholes, failing to connect
the dots, building your so called ”pledges” on For me, hope is the feeling that keeps you
the cheating tactics that got us into this mess in going, even though all odds may be against
the first place. If the commitments of you. For me hope comes from action not just
lowering all our emissions by 70, 68 or
even 55 percent by 2030 actually meant
they aim to reduce them by those
figures then that would be a great start.
But that is unfortunately not the case.

And since the level of public awareness

continues to be so low our leaders can
still get away with almost anything.
No one is held accountable. It’s like a
game. Whoever is best at packaging and

words. For me, hope is telling it like it is. No

matter how difficult or uncomfortable that
may be.

And again, I’m not here to tell you what to do.

After all, safeguarding the future living condi-
tions and preserving life on earth as we know it
is voluntary. The choice is yours to make.

But I can assure you this. You can’t negotiate

with physics. And your children and grandchil-
dren will hold you accountable for the choices
that you make. How’s that for a deal?