Who is Greta Thunberg?

Greta Thunberg has become one of the most recognisable faces in climate activism. Here is how the Swedish activist has risen to prominence.

School strike for climate

It all started in 2018, when the activist - aged just 15 - gained notoriety for skipping classes to protest in front of the Swedish Parliament and demanding action against climate change.

Famous speeches as a child

Thunberg went viral on social media and thousands of students from around the world joined in. The movement became known as the School Strike for Climate.

Now 18, Greta has become famous for her fiery and provocative speeches. She has been a speaker at events such as the World Economic Forum and the UN Climate Conference.

A boat trip to New York

She has demonstrated that her activism extends to action. In 2019, Thunberg refused to travel by plane to attend a climate conference in the US and Chile. Instead she spent 14 days crossing the ocean on an eco-friendly yacht from England to the United States.

Greta has already received two Nobel Peace Prize nominations for her fight for the environment. She was also voted 2019 Personality of the Year and one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time magazine.

Fights with presidents

The activist’s style is not liked by everyone. She has already had tense relations with some world leaders. Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil, called Greta a “brat” after she criticised authorities over a surge in violence against indigenous people in the country.

For his part, former US President Donald Trump mocked the Swedish activist after seeing one of her speeches, saying on Twitter that she must “solve her anger management problem”.

A year later, Greta struck back. When Trump lost the US election, she wrote, also on Twitter: “Donald must work on his anger management problem, then go to a good old-fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Donald, Chill!”