London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Dec 04, 2025

Greta Thunberg says 'many loopholes' in COP26 pact

Greta Thunberg says 'many loopholes' in COP26 pact

Greta Thunberg has said the eventual agreement struck at COP26 was "very vague" with many loopholes.

The 18-year-old - who came to Glasgow for the summit - said it only succeeded in "watering down the blah blah blah."

Countries agreed to "phase down" rather than "phase out" coal after India and China led opposition to the commitment in earlier negotiation drafts.

After 15 days of talks, COP26 President Alok Sharma said he was "deeply sorry" for how events had unfolded.

The Glasgow Climate Pact is the first ever climate deal to explicitly plan to reduce coal, the worst fossil fuel for greenhouse gases.

The deal also presses for more urgent emission cuts and promises more money for developing countries - to help them adapt to climate impacts.

But the pledges do not go far enough to limit temperature rise to 1.5C.

'Very, very vague'


Ms Thunberg said that the "small progress" made could demonstrate a "losing" fight against the climate crisis, since time is a major factor.

She told BBC Scotland News: "I have to say unfortunately it turned out just the way I and many others had expected.

"They even succeeded at watering down the blah, blah, blah which is quite an achievement. There is still no guarantee that we will reach the Paris Agreement.

"You can still interpret it [the Glasgow pact] in many different ways - we can still expand fossil fuel infrastructure, we can increase the global emissions. It's very, very vague."

The Swedish activist joined thousands of young people - including striking school pupils - for a march through the city on 5 November.

She addressed the crowd when it arrived in George Square, saying "immediate and drastic" cuts to emissions were needed.

The protest was organised by Fridays for Future Scotland - part of an international network of young climate activists inspired by Ms Thunberg.

Activists from several other countries, including Vanessa Nakate from Uganda, also gave speeches about how climate change is already affecting their homelands.

Previously Greta Thunberg has called the climate summit a "failure" and a "PR exercise".

She has also criticised goals for cutting emissions which cause global warming, saying: "We don't just need goals for just 2030 or 2050. We, above all, need them for 2020 and every following month and year to come."

However, Ms Thunberg has so far avoided getting into the detail of what action should be taken, saying "it is nothing to do with me".

Ms Thunberg joined two marches through Glasgow during COP26


Asked if she had dismissed the conference before it had begun, she said that was how some people had "interpreted" her words - but added "of course, we need these conferences".

She continued: "It's a democratic process that is absolutely necessary for us to make progress - but they cannot be the way they are now.

"As long as there is no real massive pressure from the outside then politicians unfortunately will most likely get away with continuing like now.

"It feels like today COP is not really challenging the structures of today - it's mostly maintaining status quo. It's like we are trying to solve a problem with the methods that got us into this in the first place."

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped the world would "look back on COP26 in Glasgow as the beginning of the end of climate change".

However, Mr Sharma was visibly emotional as he confirmed the agreement had been reached with last-minute changes to the wording.

Now back in Sweden, Ms Thunberg said she would not like to be in his shoes - and said that although China and India had disagreed with terms on coal, there were "many villains".

She said that people inside negotiations had told her "lots of different stories".

"When we talk about climate policy we have to include the aspect of equity," she said. "It is wrong that some countries do not want to take action.

"But we have to understand that when the so-called global north refuses to take the leadership role and still refuses to deliver on the loss and damage on the promised yearly $100bn to the most vulnerable countries - the least responsible countries - of course that creates lots of tension.

"We must also remember it was not just one or two countries, there were several countries blocking several negotiations."


Greta Thunberg says "they even succeeded in watering down the blah, blah, blah"

Greta Thunberg says conferences like COP26 maintain the status quo of countries taking part

Alok Sharma fights back tears as Glasgow Climate Pact reached


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
India backs down on plan to mandate government “Sanchar Saathi” app on all smartphones
King Charles Welcomes German President Steinmeier to UK in First State Visit by Berlin in 27 Years
UK Plans Major Cutback to Jury Trials as Crown Court Backlog Nears 80,000
UK Government to Significantly Limit Jury Trials in England and Wales
U.S. and U.K. Seal Drug-Pricing Deal: Britain Agrees to Pay More, U.S. Lifts Tariffs
UK Postpones Decision Yet Again on China’s Proposed Mega-Embassy in London
Head of UK Budget Watchdog Resigns After Premature Leak of Reeves’ Budget Report
Car-sharing giant Zipcar to exit UK market by end of 2025
Reports of Widespread Drone Deployment Raise Privacy and Security Questions in the UK
UK Signals Security Concerns Over China While Pursuing Stronger Trade Links
Google warns of AI “irrationality” just as Gemini 3 launch rattles markets
Top Consultancies Freeze Starting Salaries as AI Threatens ‘Pyramid’ Model
Macron Says Washington Pressuring EU to Delay Enforcement of Digital-Regulation Probes Against Meta, TikTok and X
UK’s DragonFire Laser Downs High-Speed Drones as £316m Deal Speeds Naval Deployment
UK Chancellor Rejects Claims She Misled Public on Fiscal Outlook Ahead of Budget
Starmer Defends Autumn Budget as Finance Chief Faces Accusations of Misleading Public Finances
EU Firms Struggle with 3,000-Hour Paperwork Load — While Automakers Fear De Facto 2030 Petrol Car Ban
White House launches ‘Hall of Shame’ site to publicly condemn media outlets for alleged bias
UK Budget’s New EV Mileage Tax Undercuts Case for Plug-In Hybrids
UK Government Launches National Inquiry into ‘Grooming Gangs’ After US Warning and Rising Public Outcry
Taylor Swift Extends U.K. Chart Reign as ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Hits Six Weeks at No. 1
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
×