Greta Thunberg warns ‘everything we love is at stake’ as she arrives at UN climate talks

🔦 Navigate COP31 unmissable events with our Insider's Guide 

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on Associated Press or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Climate activist Greta Thunberg arrived at COP31 in Antalya on November 10, condemning the annual UN climate negotiations as hypocritical and warning that climate change threatens “everything and everyone we love.”
• She criticised the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists and urged political leaders to prioritise people and the planet over corporate profits and geopolitical power

🔭 The context: The summit comes after a year of deadly climate-related disasters and renewed energy-market disruption linked to the Iran war
• Its co-hosts, Türkiye and Australia, are promoting renewable energy and rooftop solar, despite both remaining heavily reliant on fossil fuels, particularly coal
• A central COP31 ambition is to increase electricity's share of global energy consumption from 23% today to 35% by 2035, ideally through renewable sources
• Thunberg acknowledged positive developments but argued that the scale of the crisis demands meaningful implementation rather than repeated political promises.
• Her return to the climate summit circuit marks her first COP attendance since Glasgow in 2021

🌍 Why it matters for the planet Thunberg's intervention highlights the gap between governments' climate commitments and their continued dependence on fossil fuels
• The credibility of COP31 will depend not only on declarations, but on whether countries deliver emissions reductions, climate finance and a fair transition that protects those most exposed to climate impacts

⏭️ What’s next: Thunberg is expected to spend several days at COP31, which runs until November 20
• Youth representatives hope her presence will increase pressure on negotiators to deliver concrete outcomes
• The proposed global electrification target and the debate over fossil-fuel dependence remain key tests of the summit's ambition

💬 One quote: “We should act to protect and benefit people rather than constantly sacrificing the global majority and the very planet we are all living on, for a fortunate few to keep making unimaginable profits and maintaining geopolitical power.” — Greta Thunberg

📈 One stat: 35% by 2035 — the proposed share of global energy consumption that Türkiye wants electricity to reach, up from 23% today.

Subscribe to our free newsletters to never miss a beat in sustainability.

The world needs sustainability knowledge. At illuminem, no interest group or shareholder can influence our work. Thank you for supporting our mission to make high-quality and independent sustainability information free for all. Every contribution helps. Thank you for donating today.