Environmental activist Greta Thunberg branded the U.N. climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, so far “a failure,” accusing leaders of actively creating loopholes in rules and greenwashing their countries’ emissions.

Speaking at a rally outside the conference venue, Thunberg called for tougher rules to clamp down on polluters instead of what she termed “distant, nonbinding pledges.”

“World leaders are obviously scared of the truth, yet no matter how hard they try, they cannot escape it,” she said. “They cannot ignore the scientific consensus, and above all they cannot ignore us — the people, including their own children.”

Developed nations will start making good on their joint pledge of $100 billion in annual climate aid to developing nations next year, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said Friday.

That’s at least a year earlier than some estimates. “So there is genuine progress,” Kerry told reporters at a press conference, listing advancements that have moved climate efforts forward over the last year.

The United States and other developed nations committed to the financing pledge under the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord.

Less wealthy countries say they cannot switch their economies to cleaner fuel, and protect their people from increasing natural disasters as the Earth warms, without substantial foreign aid.

And they say established economies, such as the United States, should pay, since they historically have been responsible for most of the climate damage from burning coal and petroleum.