‘Even a snail would agree’: Thunberg’s Aussie verdict

By Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson in Antalya

One of the world’s best known climate activists says it is obvious Australia should move faster to address climate threats.

Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has slammed Australia’s track record on climate action at COP31 talks in Turkey, saying “even a snail would agree” that the country needs to move faster.

The 23-year-old Swedish woman’s appearance alongside speakers from Australia, Nepal, Rwanda and Gaza caused traffic chaos inside the United Nations’ climate summit in Antalya on Thursday, which also heard criticism of Australia’s ongoing mining approvals.

Australia’s Energy Minister Chris Bowen will lead negotiations at the annual event, which has drawn more than 92,000 attendees, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived on Wednesday for the leaders’ summit portion of the event.

Asked whether she agreed with comments about Australia’s slow record on climate action, Ms Thunberg said her opinion was obvious.

“Even a snail would agree with that. It’s commonsense. It doesn’t get more clear than that.”

Ms Thunberg previously spoke at the event in 2018 and 2019 but criticised the COP26 event in 2021, describing it as “blah, blah, blah”.

She returned to bring attention to the state of the climate, she said, and call for action to prevent further disasters.

“We are all here because we know that the climate crisis is already here and now, and it is already a matter of life and death,” Ms Thunberg said.

“And these disastrous trends we are seeing unfold all over the world are going to continue to exponentially get worse and worse. We have to start acting accordingly.”

Indigenous woman Rikki Dank also spoke at the event, saying Mr Albanese should listen to calls from Traditional Owners to stop approving new and extended fossil fuel projects.

“He needs to stop speaking and start listening to the Australian people when they say no more new coal, oil and gas,” she said. “He needs to stop speaking and start listening to our brothers and sisters across the world when they say they don’t want us to export coal, oil or gas and the climate harms that they bring with them.”

Mr Albanese and Mr Bowen have so far declined to address proposals to transition away from fossil fuels at the COP31 event, instead discussing electrification and renewable energy targets.