In Italy, climate activists spoke at the Youth4Climate conference in Milan. This is Ugandan activist Vanessa Nakate.

Vanessa Nakate: “Historically, Africa is responsible for only 3% of global emissions. And yet Africans are already suffering some of the most brutal impacts fueled by the climate crisis: rapidly intensifying hurricanes, devastating floods and withering droughts. Many Africans are losing their lives, while countless more have lost their livelihoods.”

Greta Thunberg addressed the inaction by world leaders in her speech Tuesday.

Greta Thunberg: “This is not about some expensive, politically correct, green act of bunny hugging or blah, blah, blah. Build back better, blah, blah, blah. Green economy, blah, blah, blah. Net zero by 25 — 2050, blah, blah, blah. Net zero by 2050, blah, blah, blah. Net zero, blah, blah, blah. Climate neutral, blah, blah, blah. This is all we hear from our so-called leaders: words — words that sound great but so far has led to no action. Our hopes and dreams drown in their empty words and promises.”

In related news, a new study published in the journal Science found that a child born in 2021 will experience, on average, seven times as many heat waves, twice as many wildfires and nearly three times as many droughts, crop failures and river floods as their grandparents. The effects of the climate crisis will be far worse for children born in poorer nations.