Greta Thunberg has said that she will not attend this year’s COP26 climate conference – as the uneven rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine means countries would not participate on even terms.
The 18-year-old climate activist indicated that the conference should be postponed until global vaccination rates for coronavirus have risen. This comes as UNICEF and vaccination data shows that just 0.1% of Covid-19 vaccines administered worldwide have gone to low-income countries – while 86% of doses have gone to high and upper-middle-income countries.
COP26 is scheduled to take place in Glasgow in November 2021 after it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If it goes ahead, will be the biggest summit ever hosted by the UK, and could be the most significant climate conference to take place since the 2015 Paris Agreement was made.
“With the extremely inequitable vaccine distribution I will not attend the COP26 conference if the development continues as it is now.”
Higginson says:
“We know that climate injustice and global inequalities are already at the heart of the climate crisis. If people from lower-income countries aren’t vaccinated and can’t travel to be represented at COP26, it would only worsen the problem we face. Global problems need global solutions. We need equitable vaccine distribution to ensure climate justice everywhere.”