International climate activist Greta Thunberg has urged the US Congress to end fossil fuel subsidies during a hearing on the issue.

The House Oversight Committee hearing took place on the same day the Biden administration convened a summit of world leaders to discuss taking action to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Ms Thunberg was one of several activists and policy experts who testified at the hearing, convened by Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who chairs the environment subcommittee.

Ms Thunberg said: “The fact that we are still having this discussion and even more that we are still subsidising fossil fuels directly or indirectly using taxpayer money is a disgrace.”

Hours before she appeared at the hearing, NowThis released a video featuring Ms Thunberg criticising the targets for emissions reduction that world leaders are discussing at the Leaders’ Climate Summit.

Ms Thunberg said in the video that leaders present “very insufficient targets”.