Greta Thunberg at the Climate Summit: "We will not let you pass that"

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The Swedish student Greta Thunberg has urged world leaders to make a stronger call for more climate protection. "How dare you steal my dreams and my childhood with your empty words?" Thunberg asked at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in New York, with tears in his eyes. "We are at the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and the tales of a lasting economic growth."

The scientific predictions on climate change have been more than clear for decades, the 16-year-old continued. "How dare you to believe that you can solve this by continuing as you did before - and with some technical solutions - you're still not mature enough to say what it really is All coming generations have you in view, and if you decide to abandon us, I decide to say: We will never forgive you, we will not let you pass that! "

Around 60 heads of state and government will participate in the climate summit, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert tweeted a photo that shows Thunberg and Merkel how they met before the speeches began.

Meeting before the speeches @UN #ClimateActionSummit: Chancellor #Merkel meets @GretaThunberg pic.twitter.com/CzqEorBxim

Thunberg and 15 other young people from different countries also filed a human rights complaint on climate change at the UN. The girls and boys between the ages of eight and 17 sent their complaint to the UN Children's Rights Committee, Unicef ​​said. They accuse the states, therefore, to do too little against climate change and thus violate the children's rights valid worldwide.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has 18 child rights experts. They will now have to decide whether to accept the complaint - and then seek comments from the governments concerned. It is the most prominent case so far, in which children use this possibility of complaint at the highest level, Unicef ​​said.

On Friday, millions of people worldwide demanded increased efforts against global warming during strikes, meetings and protests. On Saturday, Greta Thunberg gave a speech at the UN Youth Summit. It took place for the first time and is a sign that the United Nations recognizes the importance of the Thunberg-inspired global movement for more climate protection.