"But they are and it is."
Neither is true. Fault doesn't come into it. No one can know everything and every consequence and every generation has to deal with the inevitable management of previous best efforts. Name calling of past and present is inappropriate, and simply being used for the caller to get a sense of superiority.
"The ‘worldly wise elders’ can’t bear that they’re being held to account by a teenage girl with heart, passion and imploring pleas as they gaze at the floor and shuffle their feet."
IMO that is not so. No one is metaphorically shuffling feet. Some nations are implementing what they can when they can without causing ructions in existing society (they're the one's being preached to by those wanting to feel good and important about themselves) other nations are in denial or ignoring (and they are being ignored by the preachy lot). The teenage girl is just making herself feel good with the support of others whilst trying to make others feel bad about a situation that isn't down to them, and they're trying to manage; and in the process she's just alienating vast numbers of decent folk.