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.
In 2019, Greta Thunberg contributed a voiceover for a release of "The 1975", a song by the English band by the same name. Thunberg finishes the song by urging: "So, everyone out there, it is now time for civil disobedience. It is time to rebel." Proceeds will go to Extinction Rebellion at Thunberg's request.
Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg was born on January 3, 2003, in Stockholm, Sweden. Her parents are opera singer Malena Ernman and actor Svante Thunberg. Her paternal grandfather was actor and director Olof Thunberg.
In response to her outspoken stance, politicians have acknowledged the need to focus on climate change. Labour politician Ed Miliband, who was responsible for introducing the Climate Change Act 2008, said, "You have woken us up. Thank you. All the young people who have gone on strike have held up a mirror to our society ... you have taught us all a really important lesson. You have stood out from the crowd."
In 2011, at age eight, Greta Thunberg first learned about climate change, which led to depression and, at age 11, significant weight loss. She was later diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and selective mutism.
In May 2015, Greta Thunberg's mother publicly revealed her diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome in Sweden. Greta considers her Asperger's her "superpower".
In February 2018, Greta Thunberg was inspired by the activism following school shootings in the United States, which led to her idea for a climate strike.
In May 2018, Greta Thunberg won a climate change essay competition held by Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, expressing her desire to feel safe in the face of the climate crisis.
In August 2018, Greta Thunberg began her school climate strikes and public speeches, rising to international recognition as a climate activist.
In August 2018, Greta Thunberg began her school strike for climate activism.
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.
In 2018, Greta Thunberg addressed the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which led to weekly climate strike protests around the world.
In 2018, the IPCC's Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C detailed the importance of the greenhouse gas emissions curve starting to decline steeply by 2020, a point that Thunberg has repeatedly emphasized.
In 2018, the Thunberg family's story was recounted in the book Scenes from the Heart, co-authored by the entire family. The book details the family's journey towards adopting a more sustainable lifestyle to reduce their carbon footprint.
Throughout the autumn of 2018, Greta Thunberg's activism evolved from a solitary protest to taking part in demonstrations throughout Europe, making several high-profile public speeches, and mobilizing her followers on social media platforms.
In January 2019, Greta Thunberg spoke at the World Economic Forum, declaring "Our house is on fire."
In February 2019, 224 academics signed an open letter expressing their support for Greta Thunberg and the striking school children, acknowledging the significance of their actions in raising awareness.
In February 2019, Greta Thunberg shared a stage with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, where he outlined that every fourth euro spent within the EU budget from 2021 to 2027 would go towards climate change mitigation.
In February 2019, at a conference of the European Economic and Social Committee, Greta Thunberg stated that the EU's intention to cut emissions by 40% by 2030 was insufficient and that the EU needed to reduce CO2 emissions by 80%.
By March 2019, Greta Thunberg was still staging her regular protests outside the Swedish parliament every Friday.
In April 2019, Greta Thunberg addressed the British Parliament, criticizing world leaders for insufficient action on global emissions. She emphasized the need to reduce emissions to zero and urged politicians to listen to scientists.
In May 2019, Greta Thunberg addressed online criticism, stating that personal attacks indicate the lack of a valid argument. Joe Biden responded to Trump's tweet mocking Thunberg after she was named the Time's Person of the Year 2019 by tweeting at Trump: "What kind of president bullies a teenager? @realDonaldTrump, you could learn a few things from Greta on what it means to be a leader."
In May 2019, Thunberg was featured on the cover of Time magazine, where she was described as a role model and one of the "Next Generation Leaders".
In May 2019, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres endorsed the school strikes initiated by Greta Thunberg, admitting that his generation had failed to address climate change adequately and that it was up to the youth to save the planet.
In May 2019, a 15-metre-high mural of Thunberg by artist Jody Thomas was created in Bristol, portraying the bottom half of her face as if under rising sea water.
In May 2019, climate issues played a significant role in the European Parliament election, with Green parties achieving their best results, increasing their MEP seats from 52 to 72, partly due to young people inspired by Thunberg.
In June 2019, Swedish Railways (SJ) reported that the number of Swedes taking the train for domestic journeys had risen by 8% from the previous year, reflecting growing public concern about the impact of flying on CO2 emissions.
In June 2019, a YouGov poll in Britain showed that public concern about the environment had risen to record levels in the UK due to Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion.
In July 2019, Time magazine reported that Greta Thunberg was taking a sabbatical year from school to travel in the Americas and address COP25.
In August 2019, Greta Thunberg sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Plymouth, England, to New York City on the Malizia II yacht, equipped with solar panels and underwater turbines, to demonstrate the importance of reducing emissions.
In August 2019, the publication and sales of children's books about the climate crisis reportedly doubled compared to the previous year, attributed to the "Greta effect."
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.
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.
In September 2019, Greta Thunberg and fifteen others were featured on the cover of Vogue magazine created by guest editor Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
In September 2019, Greta Thunberg attended the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City. She also participated in a press conference hosted by UNICEF, along with 15 other children including Ayakha Melithafa, Alexandria Villaseñor, Catarina Lorenzo, and Carl Smith.
In September 2019, Greta Thunberg attended the United Nations Climate Summit in New York City, following a two-week sea voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe.
In September 2019, John Meredith set Greta Thunberg's UN Action Summit speech to death metal. Megan Washington and Robert Davidson used the same 'how dare you' speech for a performance. DJ Fatboy Slim created a mashup of this speech with his dance hit "Right Here, Right Now".
In September 2019, Nick Gillespie criticized Greta Thunberg's emotional approach, suggesting it wasn't conducive to good environmental policy.
In September 2019, following Greta Thunberg's speech at the action summit in New York, several Democratic candidates for the 2020 United States presidential election, including Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, and Bernie Sanders, expressed their support.
In late September 2019, Greta Thunberg participated in climate protests in several cities in Canada and the United States. She led a climate rally in Montreal as part of the Global Climate Strike on September 27, 2019. She also participated in protests in New York City, Washington, D.C., Iowa City, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Denver, and the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.
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.
In November 2019, after the COP25 was moved to Madrid, Spain, Greta Thunberg sailed from Hampton, Virginia, to Lisbon, Portugal, aboard the catamaran La Vagabonde, offered by Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu, to avoid air travel due to its carbon emissions. She departed on November 13, 2019.
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.
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.
In December 2019, Greta Thunberg arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, and traveled to Madrid to speak at the COP25 and participate in climate strikes. During a press conference, she called for more "concrete action," noting that school strikes had "achieved nothing" as greenhouse gas emissions had risen by 4% since 2015.
In December 2019, Greta Thunberg spoke in Madrid about the disproportionate effect of climate change on young people and the Global South, emphasizing that the Global South will suffer most despite contributing the least to carbon emissions. She said "We talk about our future, they talk about their present."
In December 2019, Greta Thunberg's father discussed how her mother gave up international ventures in her opera career to save her child, as she saw how much it meant to her and the energy she got from it.
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."
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.
In December 2019, the New Scientist described the impact made by Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion with the headline: "The year the world woke up to climate change." Inspired by Thunberg, wealthy philanthropists and investors from the United States have donated about $600,000 to support Extinction Rebellion and school strike groups to establish the Climate Emergency Fund.
On December 30, 2019, Greta Thunberg served as the guest editor of BBC Radio's flagship current affairs program, the Today Programme. Her edition featured interviews on climate change with figures such as Sir David Attenborough and Bank of England chief Mark Carney.
In 2019, Greta Thunberg collaborated with the climate charity Project Pressure on an art piece projected onto the UN building in New York in the lead up to the UN Climate Action Summit featuring the voices of six young activists, including Thunberg herself.
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.
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.
In 2019, Greta Thunberg was named the youngest Time Person of the Year, included in the Forbes list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women, and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, marking significant recognition of her influence.
In 2019, Thunberg spearheaded the anti-flying movement, promoting rail travel over flying on environmental grounds, associating it with the concept of "flight shame".
On January 11, 2020, Greta Thunberg called on German company Siemens to halt the delivery of railway equipment to the controversial Carmichael coal mine in Australia. However, on January 13, Siemens declined her request, stating that it would honor its existing contract.
On January 21, 2020, Greta Thunberg returned to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, delivering two speeches and participating in panel discussions. She reiterated her previous themes, emphasizing that "Our house is still on fire."
In February 2020, Greta Thunberg traveled to Oxford University to meet with Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and activist for female education. Following this, Thunberg joined a school strike in Bristol.
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.
In March 2020, amidst the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Greta Thunberg and School Strike for Climate transitioned their activities online. On March 13, 2020, Thunberg emphasized the importance of adapting to new circumstances for the greater good of society during a crisis.
On March 4, 2020, Greta Thunberg attended a meeting of the European Parliament's Environment Committee to discuss the European Climate Law. She stated that she considered the European Commission's new proposal for a climate law to be a surrender.
In May 2020, Greta Thunberg was featured in Pearl Jam's music video "Retrograde". She appears as a fortune teller, with images in her crystal ball depicting effects of climate change.
In July 2020, Greta Thunberg, along with other activists, wrote an open letter to EU leaders urging them to advocate making ecocide an international crime at the International Criminal Court.
On August 20, 2020, Greta Thunberg and fellow climate activists met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on the second anniversary of her first strike. Following the meeting, they announced plans for another global climate strike on September 25, 2020.
On August 24, 2020, Greta Thunberg ended her "gap year" and returned to school. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted travel and meetings throughout 2020 and 2021.
In September 2020, Greta Thunberg and fellow climate activists planned another global climate strike for September 25, 2020. The nature of the strike, whether virtual or in-person, was to be determined based on the ongoing pandemic situation.
On 3 September 2020, the Hulu documentary 'I Am Greta' premiered at the Venice Film Festival, chronicling Greta Thunberg's climate activism from August 2018 through her voyage to the UN Climate Summit in September 2019.
In a November 2020 interview, Greta Thunberg criticized political inaction on climate change and the European Green Deal, stating that leaders set targets for decades ahead but flinch when immediate action is needed. She said the deal sends a strong signal that real action is being taken when it is not.
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.
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.
Greta Thunberg has argued that greenhouse gas emissions curve needs to start declining steeply no later than 2020.
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.
In 2020, Greta Thunberg tweeted her support for the ongoing Indian farmers' protest.
In 2020, following Greta Thunberg's speech at the action summit in New York, several Democratic candidates for the 2020 United States presidential election, including Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, and Bernie Sanders, expressed their support.
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.
In March 2021, BBC Studios made a three-part series 'Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World', though planned visits to various countries were omitted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2021, a life-sized sculpture of Greta Thunberg was installed on the campus of the University of Winchester.
In March 2021, after a conversation with Greta Thunberg, European Commissioner for Climate Action Frans Timmermans tweeted that the European Commission remained committed to ensuring the Common Agricultural Policy aligns with the objectives of the European Green Deal.
In April 2021, Greta Thunberg and other climate activists launched the annual Climate Live concert to highlight climate change, marking their first concert.
In May 2021, Greta Thunberg addressed the COVID-19 crisis, urging a change in the food production system and the protection of animals and their habitats, also addressing health concerns regarding animal welfare and the environment.
In July 2021, Greta Thunberg received her COVID vaccine, expressing gratitude for living in a place where she could get vaccinated and emphasizing the importance of equitable vaccine distribution globally.
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.
In September 2021, Greta Thunberg addressed the question of whether she felt guilty about ending her mother's international career, clarifying that it was her mother's choice based on the information she provided.
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.
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.
In October 2021, Greta Thunberg arrived in Glasgow for the COP26 conference and participated in protests, including a Fridays for Future Scotland climate strike on November 5th. During a speech, she criticized COP26 as a failure, using the phrase "blah blah blah" to describe its ineffectiveness and accusing it of greenwashing.
In November 2021, Greta Thunberg and other climate activists filed a petition to the United Nations, requesting a level 3 global climate emergency declaration to create a special team for coordinating international climate crisis response.
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.
According to a 2021 study, individuals familiar with Greta Thunberg demonstrate a higher inclination towards collective action to mitigate global warming, facilitated by stronger collective efficacy beliefs, even after accounting for overall support for climate activism.
In 2021, Greta Thunberg noted that many members of the Fridays for Future movement are autistic, emphasizing the inclusive nature of the group. She also noted that people with autism may become climate activists because they cannot look away from the truth.
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.
In February 2019, Greta Thunberg shared a stage with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, where he outlined that every fourth euro spent within the EU budget from 2021 to 2027 would go towards climate change mitigation.
On February 25, 2022, Greta Thunberg combined her usual Friday climate protests to include opposition to the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces. She stood outside the Russian embassy in Stockholm holding a sign that read "Stand With Ukraine".
On February 6, 2022, Greta Thunberg condemned the British firm Beowulf for mining iron on Sámi land, emphasizing the need to prioritize climate, environment, and indigenous rights over corporate profits.
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.
In October 2022, Greta Thunberg's "The Climate Book", a compilation of essays from over one hundred experts, was released in the UK. Thunberg donated her copyright and royalties to her foundation.
In November 2022, Greta Thunberg, along with over 600 young people, filed a lawsuit in a Stockholm district court against the Swedish government for climate inaction within Sweden.
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.
In February 2023, Greta Thunberg's "The Climate Book" was released in the United States and elsewhere.
On June 19, 2023, Greta Thunberg participated in a Reclaim the Future protest in Malmö, Sweden, and was charged with disobeying a police order.
On June 9, 2023, Greta Thunberg graduated from high school, marking the day with her last school strike for climate protest before receiving her diploma. She vowed to continue her fight.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In November 2024, Greta Thunberg reflected on her pro-Palestine activism, the details of which are not specified in the provided text.
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.
In February 2019, Greta Thunberg shared a stage with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, where he outlined that every fourth euro spent within the EU budget from 2021 to 2027 would go towards climate change mitigation.
Greta Thunberg has argued that the commitments made at the Paris Agreement are insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, and that the EU's current intention to cut emissions by 40% by 2030 is not sufficient to protect the future for children growing up today.
In November 2020, Greta Thunberg criticized the European Green Deal, which aims to make the EU climate neutral by 2050, saying that it sends a strong signal that real and sufficient action is being taken when in fact it's not.
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