Thunberg criticizes hosts and lobbyists at COP31

According to BirGün, Greta Thunberg attended COP31 in Antalya, accusing host countries of using the summits to burnish their reputations and calling for pledges to be fulfilled.

General News

Mirat Haber

12/11/2026 01:09

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Climate activist Greta Thunberg accused host countries of using climate summits to burnish their reputations, speaking at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya. According to BirGün, Thunberg was attending a climate summit for the first time in five years. She criticized the influence of lobbyists in the negotiations and said protecting people and the planet should come first.

Key points from her remarks

According to the report, Turkey hosted COP31 in Antalya.
The last climate summit Thunberg attended was COP26, held in Glasgow in 2021.
Thunberg alleged that lobbyists funded by industries benefiting from the status quo were present at the negotiations.
Despite her criticism of the summit, she argued that activists should participate in the negotiations and press for commitments to be fulfilled.

Host countries and lobbying under scrutiny

In remarks reported by BirGün, Thunberg told journalists: “It is hypocritical to give host countries an opportunity to whitewash their reputations every year.” Her criticism thus extended beyond the substance of the talks to the reputational benefits countries gain from hosting them.

Thunberg also said the negotiations included lobbyists funded by industries that benefit from what she described as a destructive status quo. Her comments about lobbying and host countries whitewashing their reputations were reported as her criticisms of the summit.

Addressing journalists and the crowd that greeted her on arrival in Antalya, Thunberg described COP meetings as “circuses dressed up in greenwashing.” According to the report, the activist joined the talks late and had not attended these summits since COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2021.

What should the climate movement prioritize, according to Thunberg?

Thunberg said protecting people and the planet should be the priority. Criticizing current political and economic systems, she opposed sacrificing the global majority so that a privileged minority could maintain its profits and geopolitical power. She placed public well-being at the heart of climate action, saying climate change threatens people’s loved ones.

For activists, this approach meant maintaining pressure on decision-makers rather than abandoning the summit altogether. Thunberg said the negotiations offered a space to mobilize people. She described the purpose of their presence as pushing those in power to fulfill commitments they had been making for decades.

Questions about her attendance and remarks

What did Thunberg criticize at COP31?

She accused host countries of using the summits to whitewash their reputations and criticized the influence of industry-funded lobbyists in the negotiations.

How did Thunberg explain attending a summit she criticized?

She said she saw the climate negotiations as an opportunity to mobilize people. She said activists aimed to push those in power to fulfill their past commitments.

Source: BirGün’s report on Thunberg’s COP31 remarks.