The new Greta FUNberg: Teen climate activist says she 'appears angry but is silly really' as she is mobbed by protesters in London before making her way to Glasgow for Cop26
Greta Thunberg said she 'appears angry but is silly really' ahead of a protest through London today as she lobbied against the use of fossil fuels.
The teenage activist hit the streets of the Capital before she is expected to catch a train to Glasgow to join striking binmen on a march through Glasgow during Cop26.
The 18-year-old, who left Stockholm on Wednesday and arrived in London by train on Thursday, joined a Youth Strike to Defund Climate Chaos (YSDCC) protest against the funding of fossil fuels outside the Standard Chartered Bank in London.
Earlier this week Ms Thunberg described herself as 'silly', adding that people 'would not recognise her' in private.
She told the BBC: 'I'm not very serious in private. I appear very angry in the media but I'm not, I'm too silly. I'm too much maybe. I don't see myself as a kind of celebrity, I see myself as an activist.
'I don't think my own life, my own future is that interesting'.
In recent weeks the eco-warrior has been filmed dancing on stage and feeding a mystery man chips after a march in Italy.
Ms Thunberg may taken up to four trains from her home in Stockholm to reach the UK, before travelling to Glasgow over the weekend.
She is one of thousands protesting across 26 countries and every continent in the world to demand the global financial system stops putting money into the use of fossil fuels.
Ms Thunberg was mobbed by protesters in London at a Youth Strike to Defund Climate Chaos protest against the funding of fossil fuels outside the Standard Chartered Bank in London
The environmental activist arrives ahead of a protest outside the Standard Chartered financial headquarters on Friday
Earlier this week Greta Thunberg described herself as 'silly' in private, adding that people would not recognise her
In the BBC interview Ms Thunberg said she hoped Cop26 would lead to politicians realising 'we are in an existential crisis'.
She added: 'We are going to need big changes, we need to uproot the system because that's where the change is going to come. It's not going to come from these conferences.'
Ms Thunberg visited the Natural History Museum this morning to celebrate a beetle that was named Nelloptodes gretae in her honour.
The protests come just days before global leaders are set to join for the Cop26 UN climate change conference in Glasgow on Monday.
Leaders including Prime Minister Boris Johnson will discuss how best the world can work together against climate change.
The Prime Minister previously said he fears the summit could fail to make the change needed for the environment.
He added: 'We need as many people as possible to go to net zero so that they are not producing too much carbon dioxide by the middle of the century. Now, I think it can be done. It's going to be very, very tough, this summit.
'I'm very worried because it might go wrong and we might not get the agreements that we need.'
Ms Thunberg with an enlarged image of the minuscule beetle that was named in her honour Nelloptodes gretae at the Natural History Museum on October 29
Flowers outside Lloyds of London in protest to demand the global financial system stops putting money into the use of fossil fuels
Ms Thunberg led today's protest with chants of 'We are unstoppable, another world is possible' and 'What do we want? Climate justice. When do we want it? Now'.
She then left the area, while activists continued the campaign.
She is expected to attend the Cop26 summit taking place in Glasgow from Monday, although says she has not officially been invited.
Andrew Marr, in a preview for his BBC One show on Sunday, asked her if she had been invited, and she responded: 'I don't know. It's very unclear. Not officially.
'I think that many people might be scared that if they invite too many radical young people, then that might make them look bad.'
She added that more countries affected by climate change should be at the conference. Ms Thunberg said: 'We need more representation from the so-called global south, from the most affected people and areas.
'It's not fair when, for example, one country send lots and lots of delegates, and then another country is very under-represented. That already creates an imbalance, and climate justice is at the very heart of this crisis.
'As long as we keep ignoring the historical responsibility of the countries of the global north and as long as we continue to ignore it, the negotiations will not have a successful outcome.'
Protesters had already lobbied outside Lloyd's of London and Macquarie Capital on Friday before being joined by Ms Thunberg.
Later they will be protesting outside the Bank of England and Barclays. As campaigners walked through the streets of London, they were joined by a band playing Power To The People and five women dressed as banshees affected by pollution.
A candlelight vigil is expected to take place at Barclays at 5.30pm to remember the victims of the climate crisis, organisers said.
The Day of Action protest could be one of the largest climate finance protests in history and will take place at financial centres in London, New York, San Francisco and Nairobi.
Activists will campaign outside branches of Barclays, Standard Chartered, Lloyds of London and the Bank of England, with Ms Thunberg set to join them.
The protests come after campaigners revealed banks have paid £2,754,145,000,000 into fossil fuel extraction since the 2015 Paris agreement where world leaders committed to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
A protester holds a sign reading 'Lloyd's insuring the death of our world' outside Lloyds of London on Friday
Flowers are left outside Lloyd's of London as protesters urge the company to stop funding use of fossil fuels
Ms Thunberg examines the minuscule beetle that was named in her honour
The International Energy Authority says there can be no further exploration of oil and gas after 2021.
Joseph Sikulu, from Pacific Climate Warriors, said: 'Financial institutions that continue to invest in dirty fossil fuel projects are also investing in the destruction of our islands and our homes.
'It's time for the corporations who have caused this crisis to be held accountable.
'The science is clear. We need to do everything we can to limit global warming to 1.5C, the survival of our islands depends on that. To get there we need to defund the climate chaos.'
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