She began her journey in August 2018 protesting outside the Swedish Parliament every day after school. From there, Greta Thunberg took off to become one of the most influential youth figures in the world.
At the age of 15, Thunberg kick-started the “School Strike for Climate” movement. Students around the world joined her in Fridays for Future. She first made an appearance at the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference before attending the UN Climate Action Summit in New York in September 2019.
Born on Jan. 3, 2003 in Stockholm, Sweden, Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg is a 16-year-old environmental activist that has risen to fame in the past two years. Time magazine featured her on their cover and claimed her a next generation leader. Thunberg has been granted several honors such as the fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, the Fryshuset Scholarship of the Young Role Model of the Year, the German Goldene Kamera Special Climate Protection award, and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She was also named Swedish Woman of the Year by Swedish Women’s Educational Association and listed in the top 25 most influential people in 2018 by Time magazine.
Thunberg is taking the world by storm with her blunt and outspoken opinions on the climate crisis. Back in 2018, she handed out leaflets explaining why she was protesting: “I am doing this because you adults are [expletive deleted] on my future.” Thunberg believes in four main themes: due to climate change humanity is facing an existential crisis, the current generation of adults is responsible for climate change, climate change will have a disproportionate effect on young people, and that very little is being done about the situation. In her efforts to help reduce pollution, Thunberg has stopped using air travel and exempts meat from her diet. Her family has also joined her in adapting to this new lifestyle. In her speech at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York last month, Thunberg made valuable points about the critical need of decreasing pollution. Thunberg states that by 2030 we must reduce CO2 emissions by 80 percent, double the goal set by the Paris Agreement.
Greta Thunberg, although young, is an educated, strong-willed activist receiving criticism by older generation politicians for her age, blunt and truthful facts, and her mass following. Whether people agree with her, Thunberg is becoming the face of our future and our generation. And at this rate, we will possibly be seeing her as a national leader in the future.