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Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg warned world leaders Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that time is running out to address climate change by reducing carbon emissions.
Why it matters: She cited a 2018 report from the International Panel on Climate Change that estimates that carbon emissions would need to be cut significantly in the years ahead to limit global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) relative to preindustrial levels.
What she's saying: "With today’s emissions levels, the remaining budget is gone in less than eight years. These aren’t anyone’s views. This is the science."
- "I know you don’t want to talk about this," she said, adding that she has "been repeating these numbers at nearly every speech I’ve given for the last 18 months."
- "Please note that these figures are global and, therefore, do not say anything about about the aspect of equity, which is absolutely necessary to make the Paris agreement work on a global scale."
- "[I]f you see it from another perspective, pretty much nothing has been done since the global emissions of carbon dioxide [have] not reduced. That, of course, is what we are trying to achieve among other things."