- Title: Climate activist Greta Thunberg turns 18
- Date: 30th September 2021
- Summary: Thunberg arrives in New York after crossing the Atlantic, saying she enjoyed the journey and that it went better than many expected. NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - AUGUST 28, 2019) (REUTERS) MALIZIA II SAILING PAST THE STATUE OF LIBERTY SUPPORTERS CHEERING AND WATCHING THE MALIZIA II SAIL IN MALIZIA II SAILING PAST THE STATUE OF LIBERTY MALIZIA II APPROACHING DOCK THUNBERG WAVING FROM BOW OF BOAT MALIZIA II DOCKING THUNBERG WAVING TO THE CROWD, CLAPPING FROM THE YACHT (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLIMATE ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, SAYING: "The trip was much better than I think anyone expected. I didn't feel bad at all. I just felt good and enjoyed it. And even though it was a bit rough sometimes, it went incredibly well and I didn't feel seasick. So I was extremely lucky. And of course, it's different for everyone, but for me, it was really good." TEEN CLIMATE ACTIVISTS HOLDING SIGN, READING (Swedish): "School strike for the climate" (MUTE) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLIMATE ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, ON WHAT SHE IS GOING TO DO IN NEW YORK, SAYING: "I'm going to just relax first, relax and walk around, and to just land a bit, in a way. And then also this Friday, I am going to join the strike outside the U.N. and then more events, of course, and to meet people, activists." THUNBERG SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS, RECEIVING FLOWERS FROM SUPPORTERS Two days after arriving in New York, Thunberg meets the President of the United Nations General Assembly and says there are high expectations on the upcoming U.N. climate summit UNITED NATIONS (FILE - AUGUST 30, 2019) (REUTERS) THUNBERG SHAKING HANDS WITH UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT, MARÃA FERNANDA ESPINOSA THUNBERG SITTING ALONGSIDE TEEN CLIMATE ACTIVISTS, ALEXANDRIA VILLASENOR AND XIYE BASTIDA IN ESPINOSA'S OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWEDISH CLIMATE ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, SAYING: "I think this U.N. summit needs to be some kind of breaking point, tipping point, where people start to realise what is actually going on. And, so we have high expectations in you, and all member states to deliver. And we are going to try to do our part to make sure that they have all eyes on them and they have put the pressure on them so they cannot continue to ignore it." ESPINOSA SPEAKING TO ACTIVISTS Thunberg is awarded the Amnesty International 2019 Ambassador of Conscience Award. She says in her speech that 'activism works'. WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FILE - SEPTEMBER 16, 2019) (REUTERS) THUNBERG TAKING THE STAGE / AUDIENCE APPLAUDING, TAKING PICTURES AND VIDEO WITH SMARTPHONES (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLIMATE ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, SAYING: "Activism works (audience applauding, cheering). So what I'm telling you to do now, is to act. Because no one is too small to make a difference." AUDIENCE APPLAUDING AND CHEERING THUNBERG ON STAGE WITH KUMI NAIDOO, SECRETARY-GENERAL, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HOLDING AWARD
- 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: LVA00QEWXL0SN
- 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.
(Production: Aiden Nulty, Lucy Marks, Vanessa Romeo, Paul Warren, Jim Hatley, Amy Pollock) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
