Greta Thunberg

Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation. 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 (School Strike for Climate) sign and handing out informational flyers. 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 continuing school striking for the climate every Friday until Sweden was in compliance with the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Thunberg's youth and blunt speaking manner fueled her rise to the status of a global icon. 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. 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. 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. Thunberg's rise to world fame made her a leader in the climate activist community. She also faced heavy criticism, much of it mocking her as a naïve teenager. Thunberg's influence on the world stage has been described by The Guardian and other media outlets as the "Greta effect".