Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has blasted the United Nation's upcoming climate conference - calling it a "colossal scam" in a recent ABC 7.30 interview.
The conference, referred to as COP27, is set to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from November 6 to 18. The 19-year-old, however, will not be attending, despite being present at COP26 in Glasgow last year.
According to the COP27 website, the UN summit will: "Host more than 45,000 registered COP27 participants representing Parties, UN and regional organizations, businesses, the scientific community, indigenous and local communities, and civil society to jointly enhance and accelerate the implementation of climate action and follow up on our collective commitments and pledges."
Thunberg - who rose to prominence for her school strikes for climate and for slamming world leaders at a 2018 UN conference - said in the ABC interview: "I tell it as it is, I don't try to package any message in order to fit anyone else's view in order to please anyone."
"Even though many of the communication experts say we need to be optimistic in our reporting, and we need to communicate in an optimistic way, in a positive way, that doesn't really go in line with the fact that we are facing an existential crisis," she continued, before adding that acting on climate change is: "A question of morality… it's not politics anymore. It's just common sense and basic morality."
Later in the TV special, Thunberg referred to the COPs as a "scam," telling interviewer Sarah Ferguson: "As it is, the COPs are not really working, unless, of course, we use them as an opportunity to mobilize, which we must try to do, and make people realize what a colossal scam this is."
Then, at a recent press conference for her upcoming book The Climate Book, Thunberg elaborated on why she wouldn't be heading to Egypt for the summit, stating: "I'm not going to COP27 for many reasons, but the space for civil society this year is extremely limited."
"The COPs are mainly used as an opportunity for leaders and people in power to get attention, using many different kinds of greenwashing," she added, per The Guardian.
Last week, Thunberg was among almost 1,400 people who signed a petition that demanded Egyptian authorities release those arbitrarily detained in the country, as well as open up civic space.
She also called on "everyone" to work together in the fight for climate change, saying: "In order to change things, we need everyone - we need billions of activists."