Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan climate activist, told the UN climate conference on Thursday that she and her peers did not trust the assurances made this week by politicians, companies, and banks to take bold action on climate change.
They do, however, want to.
Ms Nakate, 24, gave one of the most emotional addresses to date before the United Nations climate summit, telling diplomats that leaders are already attempting to label the meeting, known as COP26, as a success. However, she and her peers do not believe it.
“Let us be honest,” she said. “We have been here before.”
She chastised corporate executives and investors, accusing them of “flying into COP on private jets” and “making fancy speeches” rather than taking direct action. She also questioned people working in the fossil fuel industry’s involvement.
After her remarks, Ms Nakate, a rising figure among global climate campaigners, got sustained applause.
She initially gained recognition in January 2020, when she was edited out of a photo taken at the World Economic Forum by The Associated Press. She was standing with four white campaigners, including Greta Thunberg, a Swedish activist.
The erasure prompted Ms Nakate to condemn “racism” in the global environmental movement and the deletion of Black and African voices through a 10-minute video uploaded on Twitter. Her remarks echoed throughout the globe, cementing her position as a major voice among young Africans who are fiercely advocating for climate action.
