- Title: Climate activist Greta Thunberg turns 18
- Date: 30th September 2021
- Summary: Young people continue to march through major cities in the weekly climate protests. Strikers say they draw inspiration from Thunberg who had originally started protesting alone. LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM, (FILE - JUNE 21, 2019) (REUTERS) STUDENTS MARCHING IN LONDON PLACARD, READING (English): "Our house is burning!" STUDENTS CHANTING AND MARCHING (SOUNDBITE) (English) 16-YEAR-OLD PROTESTER, ANGUS LEES MILLER, SAYING: "So I think, everyone says it is all about the collective and stuff like that, but at the same time, one inspiring figure has got to be Greta Thunberg. The one who, basically, inspired this entire movement, who basically had the bravery to do it alone - she didn't really have anyone the first few days. Then for this to balloon into a global movement, I think she basically is the de-facto figurehead of this movement." (SOUNDBITE) (English) 16-YEAR-OLD PROTESTER, NAT (FULL NAME NOT GIVEN), SAYING: "With all her strikes in Sweden, I think that is really, really, really amazing. She's only, I think, 16 or 17 and for me, she is somebody I really look up to, because you know I think she is showing the way and like showing the youth that like we can make a change. All of this has stemmed from her and I think that is really, really, really cool." Thunberg receives the Freedom Prize from France's Normandy region in the city of Caen on July 21, 2019. Thunberg said she would donate the prize money of 25,000 euros to four climate justice organisations around the world. CAEN, FRANCE (FILE - JULY 21, 2019) (REUTERS) THUNBERG BEING AWARDED FREEDOM PRIZE ON STAGE DURING CEREMONY THUNBERG HOLDING TROPHY, BEING KISSED ON CHEEK BY ONE OF FREEDOM PRIZE'S SPONSORS, CHARLES NORMAN SHAY AWARD EVENT IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLIMATE ACTIVIST AND FREEDOM PRIZE RECIPIENT, GRETA THUNBERG, SAYING: "This prize is not only for me. This is for the whole 'Fridays for Future' movement because this we have achieved together." Some 450 young "Fridays for Future" climate activists from 37 European countries gather for a summit in Lausanne, Switzerland to discuss the movement's development and work on international cooperation. Thunberg says world leaders must prove that they are listening to young climate activists after a year of protests failed to lead to any progress in the reduction of greenhouse gasses. LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (FILE - AUGUST 5, 2019) (REUTERS) THUNBERG ARRIVING FOR THE "SMILE FOR FUTURE" SUMMIT AND TAKING HER SEAT SIGN FOR "SMILE FOR FUTURE" MOVEMENT, READING (English): 'CLIMATE STRIKE. CLIMATE JUSTICE. NOW' VARIOUS OF THUNBERG SITTING AHEAD OF SUMMIT WITH OTHER YOUTH ACTIVISTS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES INSTALLATION SHOWING PLANET EARTH SITTING ON A MODEL BONFIRE / RIBBON, READING (English): "Crime scene. Do not cross." LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (FILE - AUGUST 5, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THUNBERG, NOBEL PRIZE WINNER JACQUES DUBOCHET AND GERMAN SCIENTIST AND FORMER POLITICIAN ERNST ULRICH VON WEIZSAECKER SITTING ON STAGE AT "SMILE FOR FUTURE" SUMMIT
- Embargoed: 14th October 2021 03:45
- Keywords: Barack Obama Climate activism Congress EU Parliament Fridays for Future Greta Thunberg Pope Francis Sweden U.N climate politics global warming trans-atlantic
- Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- Country: Various
- Topics: Climate Change,Environment,General News,Government / Politics,Climate Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00CEWXL0SN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Teenaged climate activist Greta Thunberg is among the contenders for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.
Sweden's Thunberg pioneered a climate change campaign that swelled from a one-person school strike by the then 15-year-old to a worldwide movement, drawing in millions of school children, and adults too, who are demanding action on climate change.
Thunberg first drew attention in August 2018 when she skipped school to protest outside the Swedish parliament each Friday.
She was soon joined by a small group of other school strikers in Stockholm, before the campaign attracted tens of thousands of students in more than 24 countries, taking part in Friday school strikes around the world.
By March 2019, the number of students taking part in worldwide Friday demonstrations hit more than two million across 135 countries.
She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, and the same year named as one of the world's most influential people by Time magazine, appearing on its cover, and was one of four winners of the 2019 Right Livelihood Award, known as Sweden's alternative Nobel Prize.
Thunberg has also been awarded a French Normandy Freedom Prize and Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award.
In less than a year since starting the "Fridays for Future" campaign, Thunberg had addressed the European Parliament, met Pope Francis, and addressed the UK's House of Commons.
In August 2019, Thunberg sailed into New York Harbour on a zero-carbon emissions vessel, completing a nearly 14-day journey from Britain to take part in a United Nations climate summit. Meanwhile, the total number of climate strikers reached 3.6 million people across 169 countries.
During her first visit to the United States, Thunberg met former president Barack Obama, the President of the United Nations General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa, and addressed Congress, where she told them to "wake up" and "listen to the science".
In 2020, after leading climate marches in Belgium and Switzerland, Thunberg moved the weekly rallies online as the coronavirus pandemic spread around the world.
Her role as a figurehead for a global climate change campaign continued in 2020. She berated world leaders at the Youth4Climate meeting in Milan, Italy in the run-up to the United Nations COP 26 climate conference, saying: "There is no Planet B...Change is not only possible, but necessary, but not if we go on like we are today."
There are 329 candidates for 2021's Nobel Peace Prize, the third-highest number of contenders for the prestigious award ever.
The winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on October 8.
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