For as long as activism has existed, environmentalists have rallied around demonstrations, protests, and “raising awareness.” In that tradition, since COP26 began, climate activists have been protesting, arguing that actions taken by world leaders at the summit are not enough.

Last week, Greta Thunberg gave a speech in which she said leadership is not going to come from inside COP26 because all world leaders do is “blah blah blah.” Instead, she said climate leadership would come from activists like her. While passionate, this display of vexation toward COP26 is misplaced, as, in comparison to past international climate summits, COP26 has been impressively action-oriented and fruitful. In light of this, protests and demands come off as petulant, out of touch, and alarmist.