Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Greta Thunberg

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Greta Thunberg.

Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist who gained international recognition for her direct and confrontational approach to addressing climate change. Beginning with school strikes outside the Swedish parliament in 2018, her activism sparked a global movement, Fridays for Future, where students worldwide protest to demand climate action. Thunberg has addressed the United Nations and other world leaders, criticizing their lack of urgency and commitment to reducing emissions. She advocates for immediate and drastic measures based on scientific consensus, making her a prominent and influential voice in the climate change debate.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

August 2018: Begins School Strike for Climate

In August 2018, at the age of 15, Greta Thunberg began skipping school to protest climate change outside the Swedish parliament. She held a "Skolstrejk för Klimatet" (School Strike for Climate) sign, handed out flyers, and vowed to continue striking every Friday until Sweden complied with the Paris Agreement.

August 2019: Personal Attacks and Criticism

In August 2019, various media outlets reported on the personal attacks against Greta Thunberg, including those targeting her autism. Columnists and political figures were criticized for making "ugly personal attacks" on Thunberg.

September 2019: Trump's Mocking Tweet and Thunberg's Response

In September 2019, Donald Trump mocked Greta Thunberg on Twitter after her address to world leaders, leading Thunberg to change her Twitter bio to match his description.

September 2019: Criticism of Thunberg's Approach

In September 2019, Nick Gillespie criticized Greta Thunberg's emotional approach, suggesting it wasn't conducive to good environmental policy.

October 2019: Putin's Description and Thunberg's Response

In October 2019, Vladimir Putin described Greta Thunberg as a "kind girl and very sincere" but suggested she was being manipulated, leading her to update her Twitter bio to reflect his description.

December 2019: Criticism from Deutsche Bahn

In December 2019, Deutsche Bahn (DB) criticized Greta Thunberg after she tweeted a photo of herself on an overcrowded train. DB initially apologized 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, emphasizing the demand for train travel.

December 2019: Trump's Mocking Tweet and Thunberg's Response

In December 2019, Donald Trump mocked Greta Thunberg after Time named her Person of the Year for 2019, leading Thunberg to change her Twitter biography in response.

December 2019: Response to Bolsonaro's Criticism

In December 2019, after Greta Thunberg tweeted about the murder of indigenous people protecting the forest, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro called her a "brat," prompting Thunberg to change her Twitter description to "pirralha," the Portuguese word for "brat."

December 2019: Donald Trump's attack on Thunberg after Time's Person of the Year

In December 2019, after Greta Thunberg was named Time's youngest Person of the Year, then US president Donald Trump attacked her on Twitter, advising her to address her anger management issues and watch a movie. In response, Thunberg updated her Twitter profile to reflect Trump's comments.

2019: Addresses UN Climate Action Summit

In 2019, Greta Thunberg sailed from England to New York to address the UN Climate Action Summit, where she scolded world leaders with the phrase "How dare you" regarding their inaction on the climate crisis.

2019: Criticism of Politicians and World Leaders

In 2019, Greta Thunberg stated she hadn't been impressed by any politician she'd met, including New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern, because emissions had not fallen. She emphasized that words and sentiments are meaningless without concrete actions to reduce emissions.

February 2020: X-Site Energy Sticker Incident

In February 2020, X-Site Energy Services of Alberta, Canada, distributed a sticker depicting a violent image involving a girl labeled "Greta", which Thunberg addressed on Twitter, stating, "They are starting to get more and more desperate. This shows that we're winning." X-Site Energy later apologized and assumed full responsibility, destroying the remaining stickers and making organizational changes to prevent future incidents.

December 2020: Criticized New Zealand's climate change declaration

On December 14, 2020, Greta Thunberg criticized the New Zealand Labour Government's recent climate change emergency declaration as "virtue signalling," noting that it committed to reducing less than one percent of the country's carbon emissions by 2025.

2020: Thunberg's Response to Trump's "Stop the count!" Tweet

During the 2020 United States presidential election, Greta Thunberg responded to Donald Trump's "Stop the count!" tweet by repurposing his previous mocking comments about her.

2020: Speaks Out Against Entrance Exams in India

In 2020, Greta Thunberg spoke out against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2020 and Joint Entrance Examination 2020 entrance exams conducted in India in September, citing the global pandemic and floods as reasons for the unfairness to students.

2020: Supports Farmers' Protest

In 2020, Greta Thunberg tweeted her support for the ongoing Indian farmers' protest.

February 2021: Tweets Support for Indian Farmers' Protest

On February 3, 2021, Greta Thunberg tweeted her support for the 2020-2021 Indian farmers' protest, which led to criticism from the Indian government and the arrest of activist Disha Ravi.

August 2021: Disinformation and Conspiracies

In August 2021, Yasmeen Serhan wrote that Greta Thunberg had become "the target of a barrage of disinformation and conspiracies" from the far-right, portraying her negatively.

September 2021: Featured on Vogue Scandinavia cover, criticized fashion industry

In September 2021, Greta Thunberg appeared on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia, shot by Iris and Mattias Alexandrov Klum. In an interview, she criticized the fashion industry's greenwashing efforts and its impact on the environment and workers.

September 2021: Criticized world leaders at Youth4Climate Summit

On September 28, 2021, Greta Thunberg criticized world leaders, including Joe Biden, Boris Johnson, and Narendra Modi, for their climate crisis promises at the Youth4Climate Summit in Milan. She also criticized climate conference organizers, accusing them of only pretending to listen to young people.

December 2021: Reiterated criticism of U.S. President Joe Biden

In December 2021, Greta Thunberg reiterated her criticism of U.S. President Joe Biden, questioning his leadership on climate issues due to the U.S.'s continued expansion of fossil fuel use under his administration.

2021: Criticism of COP26 and Chinese Leadership

In 2021, prior to the COP26 conference in Glasgow, Greta Thunberg expressed skepticism about the conference's potential for real change, criticizing leaders for making empty promises. She also referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as "a leader of a dictatorship" and emphasized the importance of democracy and public pressure for addressing the climate crisis.

July 2022: Criticized European Parliament's decision on fossil gas and nuclear energy

On July 6, 2022, Greta Thunberg criticized the European Parliament for voting to label fossil gas and nuclear energy as "green" energy, calling the decision "hypocrisy" and stating that it would delay a sustainable transition.

January 2023: Detention at Lützerath Coal Mine Protest

On January 17, 2023, Greta Thunberg was detained by German police along with other activists during a protest against the expansion of a coal mine in Lützerath. She was released the same day after an identity check.

June 2023: Participation in Reclaim the Future Protest and Charge

On June 19, 2023, Greta Thunberg participated in a Reclaim the Future protest in Malmö, Sweden, and was charged with disobeying a police order.

July 2023: Trial for Disobeying Police Order

On July 24, 2023, a trial was held at Malmö District Court where Greta Thunberg was prosecuted for disobedience to authority after disrupting traffic and refusing to follow police orders. She was sentenced to pay fines.

August 2023: Cancellation of Appearance at Edinburgh International Book Festival

On August 4, 2023, Greta Thunberg cancelled her scheduled appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on August 11 to promote "The Climate Book" due to the festival's sponsorship by Baillie Gifford, an investment firm with fossil fuel industry connections.

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October 2023: Second Swedish Trial and Conviction for Disobedience

On October 11, 2023, Greta Thunberg's second Swedish trial for disobedience occurred for the July 24, 2023, incident. She was found guilty and ordered to pay fines.

October 2023: Arrest at Energy Intelligence Forum Protest in London

On October 18, 2023, Greta Thunberg was arrested in London for protesting against the Energy Intelligence Forum. She was charged with failure to comply with a lawful order to disperse.

October 2023: Controversy Over Pro-Palestinian Social Media Post

On October 20, 2023, Greta Thunberg posted a photo supporting Palestinians amidst the Israel-Hamas war but was criticized for not condemning Hamas's attack on Israel. The Israeli Ministry of Education removed references to Thunberg in its curriculum.

November 2023: Plea of Not Guilty in London Court

On November 15, 2023, Greta Thunberg appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court and entered a plea of "not guilty" regarding her arrest at the Energy Intelligence Forum protest.

December 2023: Publication of Opinion Piece on Gaza Suffering

On December 5, 2023, Greta Thunberg and three researchers/activists published an opinion piece in The Guardian titled "We won't stop speaking out about Gaza's suffering", clarifying FFF Sweden's support for Palestinian civilians and addressing criticism of the organization.

2023: Continues Activism After High School Graduation

After graduating from high school in 2023, Greta Thunberg continued her activism, employing more assertive tactics, including acts of civil disobedience that resulted in arrests and convictions.

February 2024: Dismissal of Case Against Thunberg in London

On February 2, 2024, the case against Greta Thunberg, et al., was dismissed by the judge after the prosecution rested its case, agreeing that the crown had failed to present enough evidence.

April 2024: Charge for Civil Disobedience in Sweden

On April 23, 2024, Greta Thunberg was charged with civil disobedience for allegedly ignoring police orders to leave two climate demonstrations blocking Sweden's parliament building on March 12 and 14. She entered a plea of not guilty.

April 2024: Participation in Extinction Rebellion Protest in The Hague

On April 6, 2024, Greta Thunberg participated in an Extinction Rebellion-led protest in The Hague, Netherlands. She was forcibly removed from blocking a road and then joined another group blocking a different road, and was removed again. Reports vary on whether she was arrested or merely detained.

May 2024: Conviction for Civil Disobedience in Sweden

On May 8, 2024, a Swedish court convicted Greta Thunberg for civil disobedience and fined her 6,000 Swedish Kronor (US$550). She was also ordered to pay an additional 1,000 Swedish Kronor (US$92) in damages.

September 2024: Detention at Pro-Palestinian Protest in Copenhagen

In September 2024, Greta Thunberg was apprehended by Danish police during a pro-Palestinian protest in Copenhagen against the Israel–Hamas war. She was detained after blocking the entrance to a building at the University of Copenhagen.

November 2024: Reflection on Pro-Palestine Activism

In November 2024, Greta Thunberg reflected on her pro-Palestine activism, the details of which are not specified in the provided text.

December 2024: Controversial Remarks at Pro-Palestine Rally in Mannheim

In December 2024, while speaking at a pro-Palestine rally in Mannheim, Germany, Greta Thunberg declared "Fuck Germany and fuck Israel." This led to accusations of anti-Semitism from a local politician.

2024: Detention at Pro-Palestinian Protest During Eurovision

In May 2024, Greta Thunberg was detained by Swedish police for participating in a pro-Palestinian protest outside Malmö Arena, which was hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. She later released a statement opposing Israel's participation in the contest.