Teen activist Greta Thunberg shames world leaders for climate inaction in blistering UN speech: ‘How dare you!’
- Greta Thunberg make emotional appeal in which she scolded leaders with her repeated phrase: ‘How dare you’
- Donald Trump, originally not expected to attend, makes surprise visit at event
Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg told world leaders they were failing young people at Monday’s United Nations climate summit, where US President Donald Trump made a surprise appearance.
“We are at the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth,” Thunberg said, her voice wavering and her eyes filling with tears.
The Swedish teen’s impassioned speech, in which she repeated the words “How dare you” four times, was the defining moment of the meeting, called by UN chief Antonio Guterres to reinvigorate the faltering Paris climate agreement.
“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words, yet I’m one of the lucky ones,” said the 16-year-old climate icon, who inspired the student-led Fridays for Future movement with her weekly climate strike in front of the Swedish parliament.
“You are failing us, but young people are starting to understand your betrayal.”
Thunberg added that the climate pledges made at the event would not go far enough because they were not “mature enough to tell it like it is”.