'COP 25 Has Been of No Use' Fridays for Future Movement Says

Through demonstrations carried out in several cities around the world, "Friday for the Future" (FFF) activists accused governments of inaction on environment issues and rejected the meager results of the United Nations Climate Summit (COP25), which was held in Madrid, Spain, from Dec. 2 to Dec. 13.

RELATED:

"Chill Greta!" Trump Attacks Teen Swedish Climate Activist

Greta Thunberg, who was participating in a FFF demonstration in Turin (Italy) on Friday, commented that the UN summit’s results are unfortunately very predictable.

“World leaders are still trying to run away from their responsibilities but we have to make sure that they cannot do this. We will make sure that we put them against the wall and that they will have to do their job and to protect our futures," the Swedish climate activist said.

"If we can stay together we can do it. It is us, the people, who are the hope, it's we that can make the changes."​​​​​​​

Much political rhetoric and few real commitments worsen the prospects of containing global climate change on time.

"The next ten years will be decisive: if we manage to lower our greenhouse gas emissions, we will avoid a future that could be catastrophic," Cristina Urrutia, who works at the Institute of Applied Ecology in Germany, said.

"Instead of adopting green capitalist production models, governments should undertake unprecedented transformations," researcher Juan Francisco Donoso warned.

"The key to a path shift is fostering concrete, lasting actions at all levels, starting from individual actions and scaling up to globally coordinated policies," DW analyst Thomas Sparrow explained.​​​​​​​

Given the Madrid summit's disappointing results, the young environmental activists resolved to work towards the COP26, which is expected to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2020.

"We will be stronger and get them to really listen to us," said FFF spokeswoman Maria Serra, who recalled that her movement already has 7 million activists around the world.

"Although COP25 ends today, we will continue the fight because there is no social justice without climate justice," Nicole Judit Becker, an Argentinean environmental activist said.

"We, young people, we are not here for fun. We are here to demand justice," Vega Manson, a Sweden woman, explained.

After holding a press conference, the FFF members took the COP25 "Blue Zone", where official events are held, to make a sit-in for "social justice for all."​​​​​​​