Greta Thunberg demands ‘justice’ in inspiring speech on climate crisis at Glastonbury 2022

Danny Jones

‘We can tell the story and perhaps even change the ending’

Greta Thunberg delivered an inspiring speech about the “undeniable” climate crisis at Glastonbury 2022, taking aim at politicians, the oil industry and those who encourage environmentally irresponsible behaviour to continue.

Speaking on a windswept Pyramid Stage, the 19-year-old remained unfazed as she warned that “we are in the beginning of a climate and ecolgocial crisis”.

The Swedish climate activist announced she would be making a somewhat impromptu appearance at the iconic festival earlier on Saturday afternoon, posting an all-smiles picture on her social media before taking to the main stage to address the audience.

Greta Thunberg takes to the Pyramid Stage and the huge crowd listens intently. RS pic.twitter.com/xIy0lSRFYo

— Glastonbury Live (@GlastoLive) June 25, 2022

Greta demands accountability from those in power

She went on to call out the world leaders that not only continue to ignore the advice of environmental experts and climate campaigners, but who have “actively created loopholes” for people working in problem industries to continue damaging the biosphere, adding that “it has not only become socially acceptable for political leaders to lie, it has become expected”.

She warned that “the world we used to safely inhabit no longer exists” but that people should become complacent and accept a society where politicians can say one thing and “do the opposite” as the “new normal”.

“Our safety as a species is on a collision course with our current systems… the longer we pretend that this is not the case, the longer we pretend that we can solve this catastrophe within a global societal structure that has no laws or restrictions whatsoever protecting us longterm from the ongoing self-destructive greed that has brought us to the very edge of this precipice, the more time we will waste.

“The forces of greed and profit and planetary destructions are so powerful that our fight for the natural world is limited to a desperate struggle to avoid a total natural catastrophe. We should be fighting for people and for nature, but instead we are fighting against those who are set on destroying it.”

‘There is still time to choose a new path, to step back from the cliff’

She went on to urge those in power, those among the crowd and all those watching around the world to “prioritise people and planet over profit and greed”, asking them to “just imagine what we could all do together if we really tried.”

“Make no mistake, no one else is going to do this for us,” she added, stating that “right here and now is where we stand our ground.” She concluded by reiterating that we have the power to “tell the story and perhaps even change the ending… So instead of looking for hope, start creating that hope”, before leading a chant demanding “climate justice”.

Elsewhere at this year’s festival acts like Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers and Idles all took the time to condemn the Supreme Court’s decision, with both female US acts labelling it a “dark day for America” and the latter all-male rock band saying its a move that looks to send the country “back to the Middle Ages”.

Headliner Billie Eilish was one of many to label it a 'dark day for women in America' following Roe v Wade being overturnedhttps://t.co/19cV1KEx3V

— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) June 25, 2022