Greta Thunberg has declined an environmental prize awarded to her by the Nordic Council because “the climate movement does not need any more awards”.
The 16-year-old activist made the announcement on Instagram last night, thanking the Council for the award, but urging the movement to focus on getting politicians to listen to scientific facts about the climate instead.
“The Nordic countries have a great reputation around the world when it comes to climate and environmental issues,” Thunberg wrote. “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.”
The teen goes on to detail government support of finding oil and gas in Norway, before highlighting the gap between scientific warnings and actions of the people in power. She continued: “There are still no signs whatsoever of the changes required.”
“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, I – and Fridays For Future in Sweden – choose not to accept the Nordic Council’s environmental award nor the prize money of 500,000 Swedish kronor (£39,917).”
The activist recently missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize despite being the favourite to win. The award instead went to Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed who has worked to end a long conflict with neighbouring country, Eritrea.
Thunberg is currently travelling through California after arriving in the US at the end of August via boat – the least carbon-intensive form of travel she could take. Since being in America, the climate activist has given a passionate speech at the UN, joined record-breaking protests in New York, and absolutely owned Donald Trump, who continues to criticise the teen on Twitter.