Teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg declared on Friday that she will not be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held in Scotland in November, citing concerns about the inequality in access some countries have to COVID-19 vaccines.
In a Twitter thread, Thunberg set out her reasoning for abandoning the conference.
‘Of course I would like to attend Glasgow # COP26 But only if everyone can participate on the same terms, “she wrote.” Inequality and climate injustice are already at the heart of the climate crisis. If people cannot be vaccinated and travel to become equal, it is undemocratic and will exacerbate the problem. ‘
Of course I would love to attend Glasgow # COP26
But not unless everyone can participate on the same terms. At present, many countries have vaccinated healthy young people, often at the expense of risk groups and frontline workers (mainly from the south, as usual …).
Topic-> https://t.co/pr1u7TeZxn– Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) 9 April 2021
She referred to countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Pacific and developing countries in Asia and the Middle East, which experienced a slow rollout of vaccines and an increase in the number of cases of coronavirus. .
“At the moment, many countries are vaccinating healthy young people, often at the expense of risk groups and frontline workers (mainly from the south, as usual …),” she wrote.
Thunberg also spoke to the BBC about the need to postpone the conference for a documentary series.
“It has to happen the right way. The best thing, of course, is to get everyone vaccinated as soon as possible so that everyone can participate on the same conditions, ”said Thunberg.
The conference was postponed a year ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.