“They should lead the change and not privileged like me”

The climate activist Greta Thunberg has participated in a round table, in Davostogether with other young activists and the Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol. The Swede, however, has refused to be an official delegate because she believes that “it should be the frontline peoplenot the privileged ones like me.” In addition, he has made a appeal to public opinion to press and act as a control mechanism for the actions of companies.

In the round table they have also participated Helena Gualingafrom Ecuador, Vanessa Nakatefrom Uganda, and Louise Neubauer, from Germany. In a context of how to face the challenge of the global energy industry, Thunberg has warned that thehe sector is going to continue investing in fossil fuels and “throwing people under the bus for their own benefit”.

The meeting took place at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, just two days after Thunberg was detained during protests in lutzerath (Germany). The Swedish company has accused the energy industry of hijacking the climate change debate, Reuters reports.

The activists have informed Birol that they have filed a “cease and desist” letter to the executive directors of the sector so that they do not open new deposits of extraction of oil, gas and coal.

In addition, they have not limited themselves to denouncing energy companies, but also to financial institutions that financially support investments in fossil fuels.

Birol thanked them for meeting with him, but insisted that the transition to a low-carbon economy must include a mix, especially given concerns about global energy security. He also said that the energy crisis was not a reason to justify investments in new oil fields.

[Lützerath, el pueblo alemán símbolo de la resistencia al carbón en Europa, desaparece por una mina]

“Our house is on fire”

The first time Thunberg participated in the WEF meeting was in 2019. Then she only had 16 years and told the leaders that “our house is on fire”. It has been one of the most remembered public interventions by Thunberg, who returned to Davos the following year.

This time, instead, Thunberg has refused to participate as an official delegateas the conference returned to its regular January schedule after a pandemic hiatus.

Asked why she didn’t want to advocate for change from within, Thunberg said activists were already doing so. “I think it should be the front line people and not the privileged like me“, he affirmed. “I do not think that the changes that we need come from within. They are more likely to come from the bottom up.”

The oil and gas industry, for its part, has stated that it must be part of the energy transition, since Fossil fuels will continue to play an important role in the global energy mix as countries move to low carbon economies.