Greta Thunberg Criticises COP31 In Turkey As Fossil Fuel Firms Sue Governments Over Climate Action

UPDATE - follow-up to Cop31: "No one is coming to rescue us" Greta Thunberg tells climate summit: Swedish activist Greta Thunberg told the COP31 climate talks in Antalya, Turkey, that the planet is not dying but being killed by the very people expected to help. Speaking at a packed press conference with activists from Nepal, Australia, Palestine and Canada, Thunberg condemned government inaction and called for an end to Turkish energy shipments to Israel. According to a new analysis, fossil fuel and related corporations have sought 440 billion dollars from governments through Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanisms, while being awarded 86 billion dollars so far. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham addressed the summit as talks entered their third day. UK Green party figures criticised his speech, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres also spoke at the event amid a sharp drop in attendance by world leaders, with President Trump refusing to send an American delegation.

Context

Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanisms are legal tools included in trade treaties that allow foreign companies to sue national governments over policies that harm their commercial profits. These tribunals have increasingly become a key battleground as nations attempt to implement stricter decarbonisation rules and phase out fossil fuels.