Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Mar 14, 2026

Greta Thunberg says 'many loopholes' in COP26 pact

Greta Thunberg says 'many loopholes' in COP26 pact

Greta Thunberg has said the eventual agreement struck at COP26 was "very vague" with many loopholes.

The 18-year-old - who came to Glasgow for the summit - said it only succeeded in "watering down the blah blah blah."

Countries agreed to "phase down" rather than "phase out" coal after India and China led opposition to the commitment in earlier negotiation drafts.

After 15 days of talks, COP26 President Alok Sharma said he was "deeply sorry" for how events had unfolded.

The Glasgow Climate Pact is the first ever climate deal to explicitly plan to reduce coal, the worst fossil fuel for greenhouse gases.

The deal also presses for more urgent emission cuts and promises more money for developing countries - to help them adapt to climate impacts.

But the pledges do not go far enough to limit temperature rise to 1.5C.

'Very, very vague'


Ms Thunberg said that the "small progress" made could demonstrate a "losing" fight against the climate crisis, since time is a major factor.

She told BBC Scotland News: "I have to say unfortunately it turned out just the way I and many others had expected.

"They even succeeded at watering down the blah, blah, blah which is quite an achievement. There is still no guarantee that we will reach the Paris Agreement.

"You can still interpret it [the Glasgow pact] in many different ways - we can still expand fossil fuel infrastructure, we can increase the global emissions. It's very, very vague."

The Swedish activist joined thousands of young people - including striking school pupils - for a march through the city on 5 November.

She addressed the crowd when it arrived in George Square, saying "immediate and drastic" cuts to emissions were needed.

The protest was organised by Fridays for Future Scotland - part of an international network of young climate activists inspired by Ms Thunberg.

Activists from several other countries, including Vanessa Nakate from Uganda, also gave speeches about how climate change is already affecting their homelands.

Previously Greta Thunberg has called the climate summit a "failure" and a "PR exercise".

She has also criticised goals for cutting emissions which cause global warming, saying: "We don't just need goals for just 2030 or 2050. We, above all, need them for 2020 and every following month and year to come."

However, Ms Thunberg has so far avoided getting into the detail of what action should be taken, saying "it is nothing to do with me".

Ms Thunberg joined two marches through Glasgow during COP26


Asked if she had dismissed the conference before it had begun, she said that was how some people had "interpreted" her words - but added "of course, we need these conferences".

She continued: "It's a democratic process that is absolutely necessary for us to make progress - but they cannot be the way they are now.

"As long as there is no real massive pressure from the outside then politicians unfortunately will most likely get away with continuing like now.

"It feels like today COP is not really challenging the structures of today - it's mostly maintaining status quo. It's like we are trying to solve a problem with the methods that got us into this in the first place."

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped the world would "look back on COP26 in Glasgow as the beginning of the end of climate change".

However, Mr Sharma was visibly emotional as he confirmed the agreement had been reached with last-minute changes to the wording.

Now back in Sweden, Ms Thunberg said she would not like to be in his shoes - and said that although China and India had disagreed with terms on coal, there were "many villains".

She said that people inside negotiations had told her "lots of different stories".

"When we talk about climate policy we have to include the aspect of equity," she said. "It is wrong that some countries do not want to take action.

"But we have to understand that when the so-called global north refuses to take the leadership role and still refuses to deliver on the loss and damage on the promised yearly $100bn to the most vulnerable countries - the least responsible countries - of course that creates lots of tension.

"We must also remember it was not just one or two countries, there were several countries blocking several negotiations."


Greta Thunberg says "they even succeeded in watering down the blah, blah, blah"

Greta Thunberg says conferences like COP26 maintain the status quo of countries taking part

Alok Sharma fights back tears as Glasgow Climate Pact reached


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Weak Growth Signals UK Economy Was Faltering Even Before Middle East Energy Shock
Marks & Spencer Tops UK Fashion Retail Rankings as Most Considered Brand
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Royal Navy to Acquire Twenty Uncrewed Surface Vessels for Autonomous Warfare Testing
Russia Summons British and French Envoys After Ukrainian Storm Shadow Strike on Strategic Facility
Starmer Confirms Britain Will Maintain Sanctions on Russia Despite U.S. Policy Shift
UK Moves to Refine AI Definition in Investment Security Reform
UK Economy Stalls in January as Growth Unexpectedly Falls to Zero
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Tesla Secures Approval to Supply Electricity Directly to Homes Across Britain
Prince William Delivers Tribute to Australia’s Naval Alliance Amid Renewed Royal Spotlight on the Country
UK Foreign Secretary Travels to Saudi Arabia to Reinforce Support for Regional Allies
Putin’s ‘Hidden Hand’ May Be Assisting Iran in Conflict With Trump, UK Defence Secretary Warns
UK Sets April Deadline for Tech Platforms to Strengthen Online Protections for Children
Elon Musk Moves Into Britain’s Energy Market as Tesla Wins Licence to Supply Power
UK Watchdog Warns Fuel Retailers Against Profiteering Amid Iran War Price Surge
Report Claims Iran Used UK Charity Network to Expand Influence
United States and United Kingdom Establish Joint Standards for Counter-Drone Technology
Iran May Be Laying Naval Mines in Strait of Hormuz, UK Warns Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions
US Deploys Bunker-Buster Bombs to UK Airbase as Iran Conflict Intensifies
British Troops in Iraq Intercept Iranian Drones Targeting Coalition Base
Release of Mandelson Files Raises Tensions as UK Seeks Stable Relations With Donald Trump
UK Documents Reveal Starmer Was Warned About Mandelson’s Epstein Links Before Ambassador Appointment
Nearly Five Hundred UK Mortgage Deals Withdrawn in Two Days as Market Volatility Forces Lenders to Reprice
Three Cargo Ships Hit Near Iran as Attacks Spread to Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Why British Police Repeatedly Declined to Investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Links
UK Parliament Ends Hereditary Seats in House of Lords, Closing Chapter on Centuries of Aristocratic Lawmaking
EU and UK Urge Israel to Act Against Rising West Bank Settler Violence Amid Regional Tensions
US Senator John Kennedy Says Keir Starmer Should Not Be Trusted for Military Advice Amid Iran War Debate
UK High Court Rejects Attempt to Revive Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Revolut Secures Full UK Banking Licence After Multi-Year Regulatory Wait
Kentucky’s Bench Boost Powers Wildcats Past LSU in SEC Tournament Opener
British Couple Die After Being Pulled From Water at Australian Beach During Family Visit
British Airways Suspends UK Repatriation Flights as Middle East Travel Disruption Deepens
US Forces Prepare Ordnance at RAF Fairford as Strategic Bombers Deploy for Middle East Operations
Nigel Farage Faces Criticism After Saying Britain Should Stay Out of Iran War
Landmark UK Trial Begins Over Sony’s PlayStation Store Pricing
UK High Court Rejects Bid to Challenge Britain’s Chagos Islands Agreement With Mauritius
Finnish Duo Triumphs in England’s Annual Wife-Carrying Race, Winning a Barrel of Ale
How U.S. and UK National Security Strategies Are Reshaping the Global Business Landscape
Green Party Gains Momentum as Labour Shifts Toward the Political Centre
Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon Sets Sail for Eastern Mediterranean as Regional Tensions Rise
UK Homebuilder Persimmon Warns Iran Conflict Could Dent Property Buyer Confidence
Roman Abramovich Signals Legal Fight if UK Seeks to Seize Chelsea Sale Funds
UK Ready to Back Emergency Oil Reserve Release as Middle East Conflict Pushes Prices Higher
Study of 40,000 Articles Sparks Debate Over Alleged Anti-Muslim Bias in UK Media
×