Organizers of the protests expect global turnout over the weekend to total more than a million people.
"This is directed at world leaders," said Mitzi Jonelle Tan, a climate activist with youth movement Fridays for Future in Manila, the Philippines.
We need a just transition, and we need to phase out the fossil fuels causing the destruction of our environment," she told Reuters.
The burning of fossil fuels is the main cause of climate change, but countries have never agreed in U.N. climate talks to phase out fossil fuels - though they have committed to phase down use of coal power.
Despite having plentiful solar energy resources, Africa received only 2% of global investments in renewable energy over the last two decades, the International Renewable Energy Agency has said.
Persons:
Greta Thunberg, Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Eric Njuguna, U.N, General Antonio Guterres, Kate Abnett, Katy Daigle, Aurora Ellis
Organizations:
United States, Organizers, Reuters, Governments, International Renewable Energy Agency, General Assembly, Thomson
Locations:
COP28, BRUSSELS, Pakistan, Nigeria, United, Swedish, Manila, Philippines, Nairobi, Kenya, U.N, Africa, New York