Greta Thunberg
Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈɡrêːta ˈtʉ̂ːnbærj] ⓘ; born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation.[1]
Greta Thunberg
3 January 2003
2018–present
- Svante Thunberg (father)
- Malena Ernman (mother)
Olof Thunberg (grandfather)
Thunberg's climate activism began when she persuaded her parents to adopt lifestyle choices that reduced her family's carbon footprint. At age 15, Thunberg began skipping school on 20 August 2018, vowing to remain out of school until after the national Swedish election in an attempt to influence the outcome. She protested outside the Swedish parliament where she called for stronger action on climate change by holding up a Skolstrejk för klimatet (School Strike for Climate) sign and handing out informational flyers.[2] After the election, Thunberg spoke in front of her supporters, telling them to use their phones to film her. She then said that she would be continuing school striking for the climate every Friday until Sweden was in compliance with the 2015 Paris climate agreement.[3] Thunberg's youth and blunt speaking manner fueled her rise to the status of a global icon.[4]
Shortly after Thunberg's first school strike for the climate protest, other students engaged in similar protests in their communities. They then united and organized the school strike for climate movement under the banner of Fridays for Future. After Thunberg addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference, weekly student climate strike protests took place on Fridays around the world. In 2019, multiple coordinated multi-city protests involved over a million students each.[5] To avoid carbon-intensive flying, Thunberg sailed on a carbon-free yacht from Plymouth, England, to New York City where she attended and addressed the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit.[6] In her speech, Thunberg scolded the world's leaders by exclaiming "How dare you" in reference to their perceived indifference and inaction to the climate crisis. Her admonishment made worldwide headlines.[7][8][9]
Thunberg's rise to world fame made her an ad hoc leader in the climate activist community.[10] She also faced heavy criticism, much of it mocking her as a naïve teenager.[11] Thunberg's influence on the world stage has been described by The Guardian and other media outlets as the "Greta effect".[12] She has received numerous honours and awards, including an honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, inclusion in Time's 100 most influential people, named the youngest Time Person of the Year in 2019, inclusion in the Forbes list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women (2019),[13] and multiple nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.[14][15][16]
After Thunberg graduated from high school in June 2023, her protest tactics began to escalate.[17] As an adult, her protests have included defying lawful orders to disperse—and peaceful but defiant confrontations with police—which have led to arrests, convictions, and one acquittal.[18][19] Thunberg's activism has also evolved to include causes other than climate change, most notably the Israel–Hamas war. Thunberg co-authored an op-ed titled "We won't stop speaking out about Gaza's suffering – there is no climate justice without human rights" wherein she articulated her and Sweden's Fridays for Future's position.[20]
Public response and impact
Academics
In February 2019, 224 academics signed an open letter of support stating they were inspired by Thunberg's actions and the striking school children in making their voices heard.[189]
Politicians
Thunberg has met with many politicians and world leaders but said she could not think of a single politician who has impressed her. Asked about New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who described the climate crisis as a matter of life or death, Thunberg commented, "It's funny that people believe Jacinda Ardern and people like that are climate leaders. That just tells you how little people know about the climate crisis." Thunberg says that she ignores words and sentiments: "Obviously the emissions haven't fallen. It goes without saying that these people are not doing anything." In fact, New Zealand's greenhouse-gas emissions had increased by 2% in 2019.[26]
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres endorsed the school strikes initiated by Thunberg, admitting: "My generation has failed to respond properly to the dramatic challenge of climate change. This is deeply felt by young people. No wonder they are angry."[190] Speaking at an event in New Zealand in May 2019, Guterres said his generation was "not winning the battle against climate change" and that it was up to the youth to "rescue the planet".[191]
Public image and controversies
According to ABC news, in December 2019 Thunberg was attacked by a sitting US president, Donald Trump, after she was named Time's youngest Person of the Year. Trump tweeted that "[Thunberg] must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie. Chill Greta, Chill!" In response, Thunberg changed her Twitter (now X) profile description to read: a "teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend."[243]
Also in December 2019, Thunberg was criticized by the German rail firm Deutsche Bahn (DB), after she tweeted a photo of herself on an overcrowded train in Germany, stating she was "finally on my way home" from the COP25 UN climate conference in Madrid. DB initially apologized for the inconvenience but later deleted the tweet and chided Greta for not acknowledging their efforts to provide her with a seat in first class. Greta clarified that she only obtained a seat after four hours into her journey and emphasized that overcrowded trains indicate high demand for train travel. Despite the controversy, fellow passengers reported that DB staff treated Greta kindly, even offering her chocolates typically reserved for first-class passengers.[244]