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16-Year-Old Activist Greta Thunberg Rejected This Environmental Award And 500,000 Swedish Krona In Prize Money

She wasn’t happy - by Chelsea Tromans
  • 31 Oct 2019
16-Year-Old Activist Greta Thunberg Rejected This Environmental Award And 500,000 Swedish Krona In Prize Money

Greta Thunberg is one impressive 16-year-old. The Swedish environmental activist is on a climate change mission and she’s not about to sell out for 500,000 Swedish krona (about AUD$75,000).

The Nordic Council awarded Greta their 2019 Environmental Award, but Greta declined to accept the prize. In fact, she gave the Nordic Council a good blasting instead.

“I have received the Nordic Council’s environmental award 2019. I have decided to decline this prize,” Greta posted on Instagram.

“The climate movement does not need any more awards. What we need is for our politicians and the people in power to start to listen to the current, best available science,” she said.

While she thanked the Nordic Council for the “huge honour” and acknowledged that “The Nordic countries have a great reputation around the world when it comes to climate and environmental issues”, she noted that their actual emissions and ecological footprints per capita is “a whole other story”.

“In Sweden we live as if we had about 4 planets.”

gretathunberg View Profile
1.1m likes - View Post on Instagram
I have received the Nordic Council's environmental award 2019. I have decided to decline this prize. Here's why: "I am currently traveling through California and therefore not able to be present with you today. I want to thank the Nordic Council for this award. It is a huge honour. But the climate movement does not need any more awards. What we need is for our politicians and the people in power start to listen to the current, best available science. The Nordic countries have a great reputation around the world when it comes to climate and environmental issues. There is no lack of bragging about this. There is no lack of beautiful words. But when it comes to our actual emissions and our ecological footprints per capita - if we include our consumption, our imports as well as aviation and shipping - then it's a whole other story. In Sweden we live as if we had about 4 planets according to WWF and Global Footprint Network. And roughly the same goes for the entire Nordic region. In Norway for instance, the government recently gave a record number of permits to look for new oil and gas. The newly opened oil and natural gas-field, "Johan Sverdrup" is expected to produce oil and natural gas for 50 years; oil and gas that would generate global CO2 emissions of 1,3 tonnes. The gap between what the science says is needed to limit the increase of global temperature rise to below 1,5 or even 2 degrees - and politics that run the Nordic countries is gigantic. And there are still no signs whatsoever of the changes required. The Paris Agreement, which all of the Nordic countries have signed, is based on the aspect of equity, which means that richer countries must lead the way. We belong to the countries that have the possibility to do the most. And yet our countries still basically do nothing. So until you start to act in accordance with what the science says is needed to limit the global temperature rise below 1,5 degrees or even 2 degrees celsius, I - and Fridays For Future in Sweden - choose not to accept the Nordic Councils environmental award nor the prize money of 500 000 Swedish kronor. Best wishes Greta Thunberg"

Greta says the gap between what the science says is needed to limit global warming and the politics that run the Nordic countries is gigantic.

“We belong to the countries that have the possibility to do the most. And yet our countries still basically do nothing. So until you start to act in accordance with what the science says is needed to limit the global temperature rise below 1,5 degrees or even 2 degrees celsius, I - and Fridays For Future in Sweden - choose not to accept the Nordic Councils environmental award nor the prize money of 500 000 Swedish kronor.”

Greta's followers applauded her for her integrity, with one follower saying, "We need more heroes like you. Thank you for saying what needs to be heard, and for pleading for a actions rather than accolades." 

Another follower said, "Walkin the walk and talkin the talk".

Chelsea Tromans
Chelsea Tromans
Chelsea Tromans is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle editor whose words can be found on BEAUTYcrew, marie claire, Women’s Health, WHO, Daily Addict, and The Joye, just to name a few. She’s a night owl who’s trying to train herself to be a morning person (coffee helps!) and she recently traded in her hectic Sydney life for a quieter pace in Brisbane.

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