Greta Thunberg, 16, has become the face of the growing youth movement demanding global climate action. She is open about her Asperger’s Syndrome and is known for her ability to not mince her words.
Here are some of her most rousing quotes.
1.“ When haters go after your looks and differences, it means they have nowhere left to go. And then you know you’re winning!
I have Aspergers and that means I’m sometimes a bit different from the norm. And – given the right circumstances- being different is a superpower.#aspiepower
2. “I will instead let them know change is coming whether they like it or not.” Instagram, 21 September 2019
3. “Since our leaders are behaving like children, we will have to take the responsibility they should have taken long ago.” – COP24, Poland, 4 December 2018
4. “For 25 years, countless people have come to the U.N. climate conferences begging our world leaders to stop emissions, and clearly that has not worked as emissions are continuing to rise. So I will not beg the world leaders to care for our future”
5. “For way too long, the politicians and the people in power have gotten away with not doing anything at all to fight the climate crisis and the ecological crisis”
6. “We need to get angry and understand what is at stake. And then we need to transform that anger into action and to stand together united and just never give up.”
7. “The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say – we will never forgive you.” – UN Climate Summit, New York, 23 September 2019
8. “Many people say that Sweden is just a small country, and it doesn’t matter what we do, but I have learned you are never too small to make a difference.”
9. “You don’t listen to science because you are only interested in solutions that will enable you to carry on like before. Like now. And those answers don’t exist anymore.”
10. “You lied to us. You gave us false hope. You told us that the future was something to look forward to. And the saddest thing is that most children are not even aware of the fate that awaits us.”
11. “For way too long, the politicians and the people in power have gotten away with not doing anything to fight the climate crisis, but we will make sure that they will not get away with it any longer. We are striking because we have done our homework and they have not.” – Climate protest in Hamburg, Germany, 1 March 2019
12. “We showed that we are united and that we, young people, are unstoppable.” “I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet, you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. Yet, I am one of the lucky ones. People are suffering.” UN Summit in New York.
