Thunberg argues that world leaders are not performing well; corporate leaders prioritize financial gains, and politicians prioritize their re-elections, so they focus on short-term goals and avoid delivering bad news. Thunberg’s faith in the goodness of humans is wavering as leaders continue to act selfishly, such as Sweden reporting only one-third of its emissions and using loopholes to avoid claiming the rest. Thunberg calls for integrity, for immediate holistic actions, and for the movement away from capitalistic consumerism, though she acknowledges that other social forms have failed to be sustainable, too. Change requires humility and admissions of failure, but politicians avoid admitting failure, and the media rarely holds leaders accountable.

Climate scientist Kevin Anderson writes that climate conferences have failed, largely because of misinformation spread by the fossil fuel industry, which has led to continued fossil fuel use and the sense that affluence is deserved: “[W]e’ve convinced ourselves that we deserve our high salaries and accompanying carbon-rich lifestyles” (205). While climate change is widely acknowledged, people accept promises of reduced emissions as progress. CO₂ accumulates with time. Emission cuts are too slow, and focusing on negative emission sources, like reforestation or carbon-capturing, are ineffective. The priority should be stopping emissions.