Thunberg Returns to UN Talks as 35% Electrification Target Takes Center Stage

The annual United Nations climate conference in Antalya, Turkey, opened on Tuesday against a backdrop of recent heat waves, floods, and an energy shock triggered by the Iran war. Greta Thunberg arrived at the COP31 venue to deliver a sharp critique of the proceedings, marking her first return to a major summit since the 2021 talks in Glasgow, Scotland.

Thunberg described the annual negotiations as hypocritical, arguing that host nations use the platform to improve their public image while industries that profit from the current system dominate the discussions. She stated that political and economic systems have become incompatible with human nature. The Swedish activist, who rose to fame in 2018 as a 15-year-old outside the Swedish Parliament, warned that climate change is threatening everything and that all people and places are at stake.

The co-hosts, Turkey and Australia, are promoting renewable energy and rooftop solar installations, but both countries still rely heavily on coal for electricity generation. Previous hosts, including Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan, are major oil producers. A central goal for Turkey at this conference is global electrification, aiming to shift transportation, buildings, and heavy industry away from fossil fuels. The target is for electricity to account for 35% of global energy consumption by 2035, an increase from the current 23%.

Thunberg urged leaders to prioritize people over profits, saying the global majority is constantly sacrificed for a fortunate few to maintain geopolitical power. She acknowledged the need to take victories given the desperate state of the climate situation, adding that positive signs must be seized to save what can still be saved. She is expected to remain at the conference for several days.

Youth activists gathered around Thunberg's arrival, expressing hope that her presence would hold decision-makers accountable. Amber Turner, a 26-year-old fellow with the Alliance of Small Island States, said Thunberg’s presence reminds the group of the original mission to push for meaningful change. Kamori Osthananda, a youth negotiator with Thailand’s delegation, noted that the symbolic weight of such a prominent activist could pressure the conference to deliver real implementation.

Protests at the site also demanded more climate finance and criticized the growing interest in nuclear energy. Qiyun Woo, a youth environmentalist from Singapore, said Thunberg’s presence adds to the calls from a generation that will inherit the consequences of these negotiations. The talks in Antalya will continue until November 20. The next conference, COP32, is scheduled for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in November 2027.