World · East Asia & Pacific · 1 hr ago
Greta Thunberg criticises Australia's climate action at COP31
At the COP31 climate talks in Antalya, Turkey, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg returned to a summit after staying away from recent meetings.
She compared Australia's climate action to a snail's pace and criticised leaders for not doing enough to control rising temperatures.
Gudanji and Wakaya Traditional Owner Rikki Dank urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to listen to calls to phase out fossil fuels.
Australia and Turkey are promoting electrification and renewable energy, but both rely on fossil fuels, which they also export.
The dispute matters because the world is on track to exceed the Paris Agreement's 1.5-degree limit for global warming, and climate impacts are already affecting communities.
Thunberg is expected to spend several days at the summit, while Albanese is due to present with Pacific leaders on investment in a regional climate resilience fund.
Greta Thunberg criticised Australia’s climate action at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, comparing its pace to that of a snail.
She made the remarks alongside Indigenous advocate Rikki Dank, who urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to listen to calls to phase out fossil fuels.
Thunberg also criticised the climate talks, saying they were hypocritical and that people and the planet should come before profits and power.
Australia’s government has defended its climate record and promoted renewable energy, electrification and rooftop solar.
COP31 is co-hosted by Turkey and Australia, which both continue to rely on fossil fuels.
- Who
- Greta Thunberg and Indigenous advocate Rikki Dank criticised Australia’s climate action. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the country’s record.
- What
- Thunberg compared Australia’s pace of climate action to that of a snail and criticised the COP talks.
- When
- Thunberg arrived at COP31 on November 10, 2026, and criticised Australia during the talks.
- Where
- The COP31 climate talks in Antalya, Turkey.
- Why
- Thunberg and Dank said climate action should be more ambitious, including calls to phase out fossil fuels.
Climate activists
Australian government
Climate action
Climate activists
Thunberg compared Australia’s pace of climate action to that of a snail, while Dank urged Albanese to listen to calls to phase out fossil fuels.
Australian government
Albanese defended Australia’s climate record, pointing to renewable energy generation and rooftop solar.
COP31 priorities
Climate activists
Thunberg criticised the talks as hypocritical and called for people and the planet to come before profits and power.
Australian government
Australia and co-host Turkey are promoting electrification and renewable energy.
Thunberg arrived at the COP31 talks in Antalya and criticised the annual proceedings.
Albanese defended Australia’s climate record at the summit, according to SMH.
Thunberg and Dank criticised Australia at a press conference on the sidelines of COP31, according to SMH.
- COP location
- Antalya, Turkey
- Conference
- COP31
- Australia’s prime minister
- Anthony Albanese
- Climate activist
- Greta Thunberg
- Australian Indigenous advocate
- Rikki Dank, a Gudanji and Wakaya Traditional Owner
- Renewable energy
- Australia doubled renewable energy generation in six years, Albanese said
3 sources
What people are saying
I think even a snail would agree with that. It’s common sense. It doesn’t get more clear than that.
It's a hypocrisy every year that the host countries are given an opportunity to whitewash themselves and we know that these negotiations are filled with lobbyists, paid by the very destructive industries which are benefiting from our extremely violent status quo
everything and everyone we love is at stake
stop speaking and start listening