French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Greta Thunberg is ‘radical’ and will likely ‘antagonise societies’ after she filed a lawsuit against France and four other countries over their greenhouse gas emissions.
The Swedish environmental activist, 16, who made a passionate speech as she addressed world leaders at the Climate Action Summit 2019 in New York on Monday, filed a complaint with the United Nations.
Thunberg tweeted that she was accusing five countries of violating human rights by not taking adequate action to cut greenhouse gas levels to the goal set in 2015 by the Paris climate agreement.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Greta Thunberg is ‘radical’ and will likely ‘antagonise societies’ after she filed a lawsuit against France
The petition named five countries – Germany, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina and France – under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a 30-year-old widely ratified treaty.
However, in response Macron told Europe 1 that Thunberg’s decision was ‘very radical’ and would likely ‘antagonize societies’ and did not feel like France was ‘blocking’ climate action.
‘All the movements of our youth — or our not-so-young — are helpful,’ he said. ‘But they must now focus on those who are furthest away, those who are seeking to block the way,’ he said.
The head of state also said he didn’t feel ‘that the French government nor the German government, currently, were blocking the way.’
The Swedish environmental activist, 16, made a passionate speech as she addressed world leaders at the Climate Action Summit 2019 in New York on Monday
‘When I see that we are going to shut down all of our coal operations, stop the exploitation of hydrocarbons, that we are moving, I am not sure that this is the most efficient way,’ he said.
It comes after Thunberg made a fiery appearance at the United Nations Climate Summit on Monday where she broke down in tears while furiously scolding international delegates.
‘I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us for hope. How dare you. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,’ the 16-year-old Swedish activist thundered in her speech.
Thunberg was seen at the UN headquarters with an enraged expression on her face as US President Donald Trump upstaged her entrance by walking in flanked by news reporters.
Environment activist Greta made a fiery appearance where she glared at Donald Trump when he walked into the UN headquarters in front of her
Thunberg could hardly contain her anger as she walked into the summit behind Trump. He was not scheduled to participate in the summit that seeks international action against global warming, but attended the conference for just 15 minutes
The UN summit convened to have nations make plans to confront global warming and rising fossil fuel emissions.
‘There will not be any solution or plans in line with these figures here today because these numbers are too uncomfortable and you’re not mature enough to tell it like it is,’ Thunberg, who is usually not as emotional in her speeches, said.
‘You are failing us. The young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you.
‘And if you choose to fail us, I say, we will never forgive you,’ she added on the brink of tears.
Trump pictured at the UN Climate Action Summit on Monday where he shut his eyes during the presentation and remained for just 15 minutes
‘Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up and change is coming whether you like it or not,’ she said to uproarious applause.
Thunberg held nothing back as she thundered against the politicians and officials at the UN climate summit.
‘You come to us young people for hope. How dare you?’ she roared.
‘You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words, yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering, people are dying, entire ecosystems are collapsing,’ she said.
Trump wasn’t originally scheduled to attend the summit as he’s hosting a session on religious persecution in the same building.
He upstaged Thunberg’s entrance into the UN building Monday morning. Video shows the moment Thunberg is seen in the main lobby of the UN Headquarters and is told to stand aside by a security guard as President Trump entered the main doors and walked into the lobby flanked by reporters and cameras.
Thunberg was visible in the background with a livid expression on her face.
The president stayed at the conference for just 15 minutes.