Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jul 12, 2025

Greta Thunberg accuses Davos elite of putting 'corporate greed' above people and planet

Greta Thunberg accuses Davos elite of putting 'corporate greed' above people and planet

The climate activist's comments came after her brief detention at a protest in Germany earlier this week. Social media rumours suggested that her detention was staged - but this was not true.

Greta Thunberg has accused the political and business elite at the World Economic Forum in Davos of putting "corporate greed" and "short-term profits" above the planet.

Speaking alongside other activists at Davos in Switzerland, Ms Thunberg, 20, said the elite are "at the core of the climate crisis" and are fuelling the destruction of the planet.

Ms Thunberg's comments follow her brief detention at an eco protest in Germany against the demolition of a village to expand a nearby coal mine on Tuesday.

Climate protests at Davos

She said: "We are right now in Davos where basically the people who are mostly fuelling the destruction of the planet, the people who are at the very core of the climate crisis, the people who are investing in fossil fuels. Yet somehow these are the people that we seem to rely on solving our problems.

"They have proven time and time again that they are not prioritising that. They are prioritising self-greed, corporate greed and short-term economic profits above people and above planet."

She was joined by other activists who brought a joint letter signed by nearly 900,000 people calling on fossil fuel company bosses to stop all new oil and gas projects.

Protests have been staged at the forum by dozens of climate activists. Some with clown makeup waved banners and chanted slogans at the end of the Davos Promenade on Sunday.

While the forum has discussed the need to address climate change among other topics, it has faced criticism for being a talking shop that results in little direct action.

Ms Thunberg said the change needed is not very likely to come from inside Davos, but from the "bottom-up" and public pressure from the outside.

Police officers carry Thunberg


Detention was not staged - despite rumours


Despite claims circulating on social media, Ms Thunberg's brief detention at a protest near Luetzerath village in western Germany was not staged.

The rumours suggested the incident was staged with the police.

However, German police, Reuters journalists and photographers at the site confirmed this was false.

A spokesperson for Aachen police said that their detainment of Ms Thunberg was not staged, saying they are not "extras" for her.

Scientists say no new fossil fuel projects can go ahead if the world is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with the climate goals set in Paris in 2015.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
×