Teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg said on Friday that she will not be attending the United Nations climate conference scheduled for November in Scotland, citing concerns about inequality in the access some countries have to COVID-19 vaccines .
In a Twitter thread, Thunberg outlined her reasoning for opting out of the conference.
‘Of course I would really like to go to Glasgow # COP26 But not unless everyone can participate on the same terms, “she wrote.” Inequality and climate injustice are already at the heart of the climate crisis. If people cannot be vaccinated and travel to be equally represented, it is undemocratic and the problem would only get worse. “
Of course I would really like to go to Glasgow # COP26
But not unless everyone can participate under the same conditions. At the moment, many countries are vaccinating healthy young people, often at the expense of high-risk groups and front-line workers (mainly from the south of the world, as usual …).
Discussion-> https://t.co/pr1u7TeZxn– Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) April 9, 2021
She referred to countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands and developing countries in Asia and the Middle East, which have experienced slow vaccine rollouts and an increasing number of coronavirus cases.
“At the moment, many countries are vaccinating healthy young people, often at the expense of high-risk groups and front-line workers (mainly from the south of the world, as usual …),” she wrote.
Thunberg also spoke to the BBC about the need to postpone the conference for a documentary series.
“This has to be done in the right way. Of course, it is best to get everyone vaccinated as soon as possible so that everyone can participate under the same conditions, ”said Thunberg.
The conference has been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.