Guest essay by Eric Worrall

Greta Thunberg while being mobbed by reporters in Madrid complained that “they” were desperate to silence her – but the COP25 climate conference she hopes to influence is already on the verge of failure.

Greta Thunberg: ‘They try so desperately to silence us’

Matt McGrath Environment correspondent @mattmcgrathbbc

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The 16-year-old was mobbed by press and spectators when she visited the conference centre earlier on Friday.

She had to be escorted away for her own safety amid shouts of “leave her alone” from concerned observers.

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“People want everything to continue like now and they are afraid of change,” she told reporters.

“And change is what we young people are bringing and that is why they want to silence us and that is just a proof that we are having an impact that our voices are being heard that they try so desperately to silence us.”

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This COP started with great hope last Monday, with strong words from the UN secretary-general and others, warning that time is running out and that negotiators should be guided by the science.

Since then, the urgency has given way to frustration.

Little obvious progress is being made on the central question of raising countries’ ambitions to cut carbon.

Indeed, UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa said the issue of increased pledges wasn’t even on the agenda for the final outcome of this conference.

“We don’t have in the agenda one item that’s called ‘ambition’ and, therefore, it’s not like we are expecting to have a specific decision on that.”

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