Orators

"We can have as many meetings as we like, but the will to change is nowhere in sight. Society must start treating this as a crisis...On Thursday 20 August, it will be exactly two years since the first school strike for the climate took place.... Today, leaders all over the world are speaking of an “existential crisis”. The climate emergency is discussed on countless panels and summits. Commitments are being made, big speeches are given. Yet, when it comes to action we are still in a state of denial. The climate and ecological crisis has never once been treated as a crisis. The gap between what we need to do and what’s actually being done is widening by the minute. Effectively, we have lost another two crucial years to political inaction...."

"The climate crisis is only going to get worse and so it is all our responsibilities, all of those who have an opportunity to act must do so.”"

"We can no longer let the people in power decide what is politically possible."

"We understand the world is complicated and that what we are asking for may not be easy or may seem unrealistic. But it is much more unrealistic to believe that our societies would be able to survive the global heating we’re heading for – as well as other disastrous ecological consequences of today’s business as usual... This mix of ignorance, denial and unawareness is at the very heart of the problem... The only way forward is for society to start treating the crisis like a crisis... We can still avoid the worst consequences. But to do that, we have to face the climate emergency and change our ways. And that is the uncomfortable truth we cannot escape."

"On Saturday @uniper_energy and Finnish state owned @Fortum will open a brand new coal power plant #Datteln4 in Germany. Those in power clearly lied when they said they cared about their children’s future. If you needed proof that their words and promises were empty, this is it."

"Sweden in particular is very good at greenwashing and framing themselves as a climate leader, when we have very high emissions per capita … So we are not a climate leader at all.”"

"We can’t give them any legitimacy in this situation, which is why we are standing here … saying no to greenwashing and no to the Azerbaijani regime.”"

"Whether or not you choose to rise to that challenge is up to you. Either way, history will judge you."

"It is nauseating to see the hypocrisy and double standards of holding a climate-focused conference in Azerbaijan."

"“As the COP29 climate meeting is reaching its end, it should not come as a surprise that yet another COP is failing. … The people in power are yet again about to agree to a death sentence to the countless people whose lives have been or will be ruined by the climate crisis.”"

"“Sweden is unfortunately not unique in completely ignoring the climate crisis, not treating it as an emergency at all. But actively trying to greenwash, deceive and lie in order to make it seem like they are doing enough… So we are not a climate leader at all.”"

"We are still speeding in the wrong direction. The five years following the Paris agreement have been the five hottest years ever recorded and, during that time, the world has emitted more than 200bn tonnes of CO2. Distant hypothetical targets are being set, and big speeches are being given. Yet, when it comes to the immediate action we need, we are still in a state of complete denial as we waste our time, creating new loopholes with empty words and creative accounting... Leaders should be telling the truth: that we are facing an emergency and we are not doing nearly enough. We need to prioritise the action that needs to be taken right here and right now, because it is right now that the carbon budget is being used up. We need to stop focusing on goals and targets for 2030 or 2050... We need to implement annual binding carbon budgets today. There is hope … we are the hope – we, the people... For me, the hope lies in democracy – it is the people who have the power. If enough people stand up together and repeat the same message, then there are no limits to what we can achieve."

"It is clear that private jets are incompatible with ensuring present and future living conditions on this planet. So we’re not going to let this continue. We’re not going to let the rich, who are responsible for the majority of aviation emissions, get away with sacrificing people and the planet in order to maintain their extreme lifestyles."

"We need to think about new things, new ways."

"We are in a global emergency, which affects all of us. But everyone is not suffering its Consequences equally... Africa is being disproportionately hit by the climate crisis, despite contributing to it among the least."

"“We are in a planetary emergency and we are not going to stand by and let people lose their lives and livelihood and be forced to become climate refugees when we can do something.”"

"“We need to stop hosting climate conferences in places like Azerbaijan, a country that is repressing its own population to an extreme degree… If we are standing up for justice, that has to mean justice for everyone.”"

"We can still avoid the worst consequences, we can still turn this around. But not if we continue like today. You have the resources and possibilities to change the story overnight."

"In Sweden @FortumSverige is running a huge “green” campaign saying that “The future is already here”, and that they ”have decided to take care of the future”. This takes #greenwashing to a whole new dimension."

"“I think the world needs many more young angry women, to be honest,”"

"This mission is about Gaza, it isn’t about us. And no risks that we could take could even come close to the risks the Palestinians are facing every day."

"Second, holistic thinking. When considering our remaining carbon budget we need to count all the numbers and include all of our emissions. Currently, you are letting high income nations and big polluters off the hook, allowing them to hide behind the incomplete statistics, loopholes and rhetoric they have fought so hard to create during the last 30 years."

"We have drones flying above us every night, but for Palestinians, especially in Gaza, those drones are dropping bombs constantly,"

"“Also to send solidarity and say that we see you, we see what is happening and we cannot accept just witnessing all this and doing nothing.”"

"First, the notion of time. If your stories do not include the notion of a ticking clock, then the climate crisis is just a political topic among other topics, something we can just buy, build or invest our way out of. Leave out the aspect of time and we can continue pretty much like today and ”solve the problems” later on. 2030, 2050 or 2060."

"Third, and most important of all, justice. The climate crisis isn’t just about extreme weather. It’s about people. Real people. And the very people who have done the least to create the climate crisis are suffering the most. And while the Global South is on the frontlines of the climate crisis, it’s almost never on the front pages of the world’s newspapers."

"absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine and especially Gaza right now”"

"“I was very clear in my testimony that we were kidnapped on international waters and brought against our own will into Israel,”"

"We are sick and tired of it and we are going to make the change whether they like it or not … We are not going to let them get away any more."

"“This is yet another intentional violation of rights that is added to the list of countless other violations that Israel is committing.”"

"We were 12 peaceful volunteers sailing on a civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid on international waters. We did not break laws. We did nothing wrong."

"We must always stand up and speak up against oppression, imperialism, war, all forms of discrimination and racism. To stand with Palestine is to be human. We cannot allow ourselves to be silenced,"

"If you want to truly cover the climate crisis, you must also report on the fundamental issues of time, holistic thinking and justice."

"To … minimize the risks of setting off irreversible chain reactions beyond human control, we need immediate, drastic, annual emission reductions unlike anything the world has ever seen. And as we don’t have the technological solutions that alone will do anything close to that in the foreseeable future, it means we have to make fundamental changes in our society. This is the uncomfortable result of our leaders’ failure to address this crisis."

""For me, there is no way of distinguishing the two. We cannot have climate justice without social justice. … No matter the cause of the suffering—CO₂ or bombs or state repression—we have to stand up.”"

""Our governments and the international community are failing to uphold human dignity. They contribute to the impunity of those responsible for ecological and human genocide. That leaves us as the only adults in the room.”"

"You can shove your up your arse."

"“I think the world needs many more young angry women, to be honest, especially with everything going on right now.” — comment after being described as “angry” by a political figure."

""Of course it’s good that the Palestinian cause is more on the agenda, but these symbolic gestures will lead nowhere unless they are accompanied with real action.”"

""We are speeding in the wrong direction on the climate crisis.”"

"Inside COP they are just politicians and people in power pretending to take our future seriously, pretending to take the present seriously of the people who are being affected already today by the climate crisis. Change is not going to come from the inside; that is not leadership. This is leadership."

""We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying. Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity.”"

"“We cannot remain silent. No one can remain silent when there is an ongoing genocide and when people are denied the most basic human needs,”"

"We say no more blah blah blah. No more exploitation of people and the nature and the planets … no more whatever the fuck they are doing inside there."

""If you care about a habitable planet you should also care about humans. … We can’t pretend to care about the environment while we ignore the suffering and oppression of people.”"

""If watching children being systematically starved, over two million people being systematically starved by Israel is not enough to motivate you to get out of the couch, then what is it going to take?"

"We did nothing wrong."

"The media must hold the people in power accountable for their actions, or inactions."

"I’m asking everyone to step up and join me in support of UNICEF’s vital work to save children’s lives, to protect health and continue education... Like the climate crisis, the coronavirus pandemic is a child-rights crisis... It will affect all children, now and in the long-term, but vulnerable groups will be impacted the most."

"They invite cherry-picked young people to meetings like this to pretend that they listen to us. But they clearly don’t listen to us. Our emissions are still rising. The science doesn’t lie. We can no longer let the people in power decide what is politically possible. We can no longer let the people in power decide what hope is. Hope is not passive. Hope is not blah, blah, blah. Hope is telling the truth. Hope is taking action. And hope always comes from the people."