Greta Thunberg says vaccine nationalism to worsen climate crisis

But if current trends continue and the #cop26 has to be delayed that doesn’t mean we have to delay the urgent action required.
We don’t have to wait for conferences nor anyone or anything else to dramatically start reducing our emissions. Solidarity and action can start today.

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) April 9, 2021

COP26 has a stated mission of “show[ing] that the world is able to work together to tackle this crucial challenge.” By not advancing vaccine equity, countries are failing to look beyond their borders for the shared purpose of overcoming COVID-19, Thunberg said. After all, the pandemic will keep evolving as long as people remain unvaccinated. A strain of COVID-19 that emerges in the months ahead could even render existing vaccines ineffective.

Over the past few years, Thunberg has emerged as a leading force in the climate movement. She created the youth climate protest #FridaysForFuture, and has spoken on some of the world’s biggest stages with her trademark bluntness.

She’s used her platform to champion intersectionality, calling attention to global injustices and the legacy of colonialism. She has urged countries to follow the wisdom of Indigenous peoples and elevated the voices of youth activists in the Global South.

In her Twitter thread, she criticized how the lack of high speed internet in much of the world prevents billions of people from fully participating in the global economy and climate solutions.

She also cast aside the entire notion of COP26 as a jumping off point for climate action.

“We don’t have to wait for conferences nor anyone or anything else to dramatically start reducing our emissions,” she said. “Solidarity and action can start today.”

This article was originally written by Joe McCarthy and published on Global Citizen.