Activist Thunberg meets energy chief in Davos

Environmental activist Greta Thunberg is scheduled to meet International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol in Davos on Thursday, organizers of a fringe roundtable event at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting said Reuters told to

Thunberg will meet Birol along with fellow campaigners Helena Gueringa, Vanessa Nakate and Luisa Neubauer, according to a statement from the organizers.

The IEA, which makes policy recommendations on global energy, was not available for comment at this time.

Thunberg was released by police on Tuesday after being detained along with other climate activists during protests in Germany.

“Yesterday I was part of a group peacefully protesting against the expansion of a German coal mine. We were detained in a kettle by the police but were released later that night,” she tweeted, “Climate protection is not a crime.”

“We are not winning”

Former US Vice President Al Gore said at the Davos meeting that he agreed with Thunberg’s efforts in Germany, saying the climate crisis is getting worse faster than the world is grappling with.

“We are not winning. The crisis is getting worse faster than we can deploy these solutions,” Gore told the WEF panel, adding, “People who are old enough to be in power emphasized the widening gap between young people and the young people of this world.

Thunberg, whose current whereabouts are unclear, attended the WEF conference in Davos in January 2020 and said, “Our house is still on fire,” criticizing world leaders, including former President Donald Trump. called on us to tackle climate change.

She also took part in previous protests around a rally that brought together business and political leaders at ski resorts in Switzerland to discuss topical issues.

Activists protest role of oil companies

Climate change is one of the main items on the agenda of this year’s conference, and we have already seen protests against the role of big oil companies, with activists saying they are hijacking the debate on how to deal with global warming. .

It brought together 1,500 business leaders, including representatives from leading energy companies such as BP, Chevron, Occidental Petroleum and Saudi Aramco.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday called on WEF attendees to make “credible” and responsible net-zero pledges.

This week’s social media campaign increased pressure on oil and gas companies by promoting “stop and stop” notices sponsored by Thunberg, Nakate, Neubauer and Gualinga through the non-profit website Avaaz.

With more than 850,000 signatures, the call calls on energy company CEOs to “immediately stop opening new oil, gas, or coal sites and move toward the clean energy we all urgently need. Stop hindering the transition.”

If they don’t comply, it threatens legal action and more protests.

The oil and gas industry says it needs to be part of the energy transition as fossil fuels continue to play a major role in the global energy mix as countries transition to low economies.