News

Greta Thunberg rejects environmental prize because the ‘climate doesn’t need awards’

Picture:
Picture:
AFP

Greta Thunberg has refused to accept an environmental award arguing that people in power needed to listen to “science” on climate change – not awards.

The 16-year-old activist was the recipient of the Stockholm award given by the Nordic Council, after having been nominated by Sweden and Norway.

However after the winners were announced, Greta’s reps told the audience she would not accept the award, which came with a prize of 350,000 Danish kroner (£40,410), according to the TT news agency.

Taking to Instagram, Greta talked about her reasons for declining the prize. “The climate movement does not need any more awards,” she said.

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.

Greta continued by talking about the environmental mistakes Sweden and Norway are committing

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

People online are praising Greta for taking a stand and remaining consistent in her message

More: Trump seems to think that the president of Ukraine is Russian

More: Trump Jr mocked after writing glowing review of new Kanye West album

The Conversation (0)
x