climate activist greta thunberg, together with thousands of activists, scientists and celebrities, have sent an open letter to global leaders demanding immediate action to tackle the climate crisis. 

 

‘the last few months the world has watched with horror how the COVID-19 pandemic has hit people all over the globe,’ reads the letter. ‘during this tragedy, we are seeing how many – not all – world leaders and people around the world stepped up and acted for the greater good of society. it is now clearer than ever that the climate crisis has never once been treated as a crisis, neither from the politicians, media, business, nor finance. and the longer we keep pretending that we are on a reliable path to lower emissions and that the actions required to avoid a climate disaster are available within today’s system – or for that matter that we can solve a crisis without treating it like one – the more precious time we will lose.’

greta thunberg open letter

 

 

under the #FaceTheClimateEmergency tag, the open letter was sent to all EU leaders and heads of state on 16 july 2020. the demands include halting all investments in fossil fuel exploration and extraction; for EU member states to make ecocide an international crime at the international criminal court; to include total emissions in all figures and targets, including consumption index, and international aviation and shipping; to establish annual, binding carbon budgets based on the current best available science; to safeguard and protect democracy; to design climate policies that protect workers and the most vulnerable and reduce all forms of inequality; and to treat the climate- and ecological emergency like an emergency.

 

the letter was written by thunberg together with fellow activists luisa neubauer, anuna de wever van der heyden and adélaïde charlier. until now, almost 20,000 people have signed the petition, including people like malala yousafzai, billie eilish, leonardo dicaprio, priyanka chopra, opal tometi, along with thousands of activists, citizens, scientists and celebrities. to read the complete letter, sign it and see all the signatures, please go to climateemergencyeu.org