Greta Thunberg says Cop27 a ‘scam’ that provides platform for ‘greenwashing, lying and cheating’

Swedish activist says climate summits are failing humanity by not leading to major change

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg speaks with British journalist Samira Ahmed on stage at the Royal Festival Hall (REUTERS)

Greta Thunberg has described climate summits such as the Cop27 conference taking place in Egypt next week as a “scam” that is “failing” humanity and the planet by not leading to “major changes”.

The Swedish activist said people in positions of power were using the high-profile gatherings for attention and were “greenwashing, lying and cheating”.

“As it is now Cops not are not really going to lead to any major changes, unless of course, we use them as an opportunity to mobilise,” she said on stage at the Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival on Sunday where she was promoting her new work The Climate Book, an anthology of essays on the climate crisis from over one hundred experts.