Climateupdated 19m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 15 May 2026Greta Thunberg Returns to COP31 in Antalya, Warns Climate Crisis Is Worsening
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Greta Thunberg returns to COP31 in Antalya after five years. She warns the climate crisis is worsening and threatens youth and vulnerable regions.
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COP31 Return in Antalya
Greta Thunberg returned to COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, after five years of absence and warned that the climate crisis continues to worsen despite decades of climate negotiations. Thunberg told Plan International, "The climate crisis threatens all the youths of the planet, especially those who live in the most vulnerable zones," as she questioned the results of more than three decades of climate summits.
Thunberg also told the non-governmental organization Plan International, "Now we are at COP and we have seen that, after decades of these summits, emissions continue to rise," framing the situation as not under control. AP reported that Thunberg arrived Tuesday at the UN climate meeting and said climate change "threatens everything" and that "everything and everyone we love are at stake."
Youth, Profits, and Pressure
Thunberg urged young people to demand more ambitious climate policies, telling Plan International, "As young people, our future is threatened and we must raise our voices and demand changes, just as we see young people around the world doing," during her participation in COP31. Thunberg told the press at the conference venue in Antalya, Turkey, "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," linking climate action to protecting people and the planet.
Thunberg also argued that global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise despite successive summits, and she said, "So we have to understand that the situation is not under control," in statements carried by another report. AP said Thunberg dismissed world leaders’ promises as "blah, blah, blah" when she attended COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2021, and the same reporting placed her return to COP31 in that longer pattern of criticism.
COP31 Stakes and Next Steps
Thunberg warned that climate change endangers people and the planet while calling for actions that prioritize well-being over profits and power as COP31 continued in Antalya, Turkey. AP said the meeting began on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, and it reported that Thunberg was expected to participate in discussions this year for several days.
Thunberg told the press that structural changes were needed worldwide to tackle the climate crisis, saying current political and economic systems "have become incompatible with human nature." Ynetnews reported that Israel had no delegation at the conference because of security considerations, while it said Thunberg arrived at COP31 without the keffiyeh she has frequently worn at pro-Palestinian events and instead entered the venue flashing a V sign.