EGYPT/SWITZERLAND: Greta Thunberg, a Swedish climate activist, has said she will not attend the COP27 conference in Egypt next month because she believes it would be used as a platform for “greenwashing.”
During a question-and-answer session at the opening of her most recent book at London’s Southbank Centre, she stated, “I’m not going to COP27 for many reasons, but the space for civil society this year is extremely limited.”
The activist, who is 19 years old, previously tweeted her support for “prisoners of conscience” jailed in Egypt. On November 6, the tourist town of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Red Sea will play host to the 27th climate conference of the UN.
“The Cops are mainly used as an opportunity for leaders and people in power to get attention, using many different kinds of greenwashing. The Cops are not really meant to change the whole system,” she said.
Thunberg was one of several who last week accused Greenpeace of “greenwashing” the image of the Egyptian government and deterring other activists from vehemently bringing up the nation’s appalling human rights record before the climate summit.
In a letter published in July, a group of environmentalists and activists expressed their concern that Egypt wouldn’t be able to properly host the event due to its shoddy human rights record, particularly in light of the continued detention of thousands of political prisoners.
John Sauven, a former executive director of Greenpeace UK, was one of the signatories, but Greenpeace UK declined to sign.
About 100 professionals have contributed to Thunberg’s The Climate Book, which was published last week. These experts include writer Naomi Klein, WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and economist Thomas Piketty.
One of several who accused Greenpeace last week of “greenwashing” the government of Egypt and discouraging other activists from vehemently bringing up the country’s awful human rights record before the climate summit was Thunberg.
In a letter released in July, a group of environmentalists and activists stated their concern about Egypt’s poor record on human rights.
The ongoing detention of thousands of political prisoners has made it impossible for Egypt to host the event appropriately.
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