The 17-year-old Swedish climate activist was awarded the 2020 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity this week.
Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teen activist who founded the Youth Strike for Climate Movement, was awarded the 2020 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity this week! "[Greta] gave voice to the concerns of young generations about their future, which is at risk due to global warming," the Gulbenkian wrote in a statement about the prize. "Her global influence is unprecedented for someone of her age." The 17-year-old was selected from a field of 136 nominees from 46 countries for the prize which recognizes people for their contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The award comes with a $1.15 million prize (€1 million), which Greta has already pledged to donate to a number of environmental causes. "I’m extremely honoured," she wrote on Twitter. "My foundation will as quickly as possible donate all the prize money of 1 million Euros to support organisations and projects that are fighting for a sustainable world, defending nature and supporting people already facing the worst impacts of the climate- and ecological crisis."
Greta began her climate activism in 2018 when she started her skolstrejk för klimatet (school strike for climate), during which she skipped school every Friday to protest outside the Swedish parliament demanding action on climate change. Other students soon joined her protest, and Fridays for Future protests began taking place worldwide. The momentum led to two mass protests; an estimated 1.4 million students in 125 countries turned out for the first Global Climate Strike in March 2019 and six million people participated in last September's climate strike actions that took place in 4,500 locations in 150 countries.
Greta has also had the opportunity to meet with — and challenge — world leaders on multiple occasions while speaking at global summits, including at the World Economic Forum in Davos and the United Nations Climate Action Summit. During her memorable speech at the United Nations, she told the assembled leaders: "You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you... Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not." In recognition of her tremendous impact, Greta was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize and was named Time Magazine's 2019 Person of the Year.
This new award isn't the first time Greta has contributed prize money to important causes. In April, she received a $100,000 award from Danish anti-poverty charity Human Act, which she donated to a new UNICEF campaign to protect children from the impact of the coronavirus. UNICEF is working to fight the coronavirus directly in vulnerable communities by supplying essential supplies like soap, masks, and protective equipment. It also aims to help the up to 66 million children expected to fall into poverty around the world as a result of the pandemic by addressing the effects of lost income, school closures, and more. "Like the climate crisis, the coronavirus pandemic is a child-rights crisis," Greta said when announcing her donation. "I'm asking everyone to step up and join me in support of UNICEF's vital work to save children's lives, to protect health and continue education."
Since receiving news of the Gulbenkian Prize, Greta has already announced the first two donations: $115,765 (€100,000) each to the SOS Amazonia Campaign led by Fridays For Future Brazil to tackle Covid-19 crisis in the Amazon and to the Stop Ecocide Foundation to support their work to make "ecocide" or the mass destruction of nature an international crime. She says that she'll be making additional donations in the coming weeks through the newly formed Greta Thunberg Foundation. Greta says she is incredibly grateful for the award and for the chance to contribute to causes that matter to her. "That is more money than I can begin to imagine," she said on Twitter. "This means a lot to me, and I hope that it will help me do more good in the world."
Children's Books About Greta's Life and Work
Greta and the Giants
Inspired by Greta Thunberg's Stand to Save the World
Greta and the Giants
Inspired by Greta Thunberg's Stand to Save the World
Introduce young readers to Greta Thunberg's inspiring work on behalf of the environment with this allegorical picture book! Greta lives in a beautiful forest that's threatened by Giants, who chop down trees to make bigger and bigger cities. She wants to help the animals of the forest — and make the Giants see what they're destroying — but she's not sure how to do it. Kids will enjoy this fairy tale-like story and be intrigued to read the section in the back about Greta's ongoing fight and how they can help.
Greta Thunberg (Little People, Big Dreams)
Greta Thunberg (Little People, Big Dreams)
When Greta Thunberg learned about how human activity was affecting our environment, she was so shocked she couldn't speak. Why weren't people pushing for change? Then she realized that if other people weren't, she could... and she started protesting outside the Swedish Parliament. Today, her "School Strike for Climate" protest includes millions of people around the world, including many children and teens — a reminder that "No one is too small to make a difference." This exciting book from the Little People, BIG DREAMS series introduces kids to a young woman who is changing the world — right now — helping them see how they too could become trailblazers and history makers.
Our House Is On Fire: Greta Thunberg's Call to Save the Planet
Our House Is On Fire: Greta Thunberg's Call to Save the Planet
Greta Thunberg was horrified when her teacher explained how our climate was changing. Why weren't adults doing more about it? If the grown-ups weren't paying attention, she decided, she would make them pay attention. She started a weekly "School Strike for Climate" and before long, teens around the world joined her. Today, she speaks to audiences of world leaders with her important message: "I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is." This powerful picture book by acclaimed author/illustrator Jeannette Winter is a timely and accessible story for young readers about the power of a single voice.
Greta's Story: The Schoolgirl Who Went On Strike To Save The Planet
Greta's Story: The Schoolgirl Who Went On Strike To Save The Planet
It was one of the hottest summers on record in Stockholm, Sweden, when a 15-year-old named Greta Thunberg skipped school and sat down in front of the parliament building with a handmade sign. Her mission: draw attention to the need for action on environmental issues, particularly climate change. In this biography for middle grade readers, author Valentina Camerini explores lesser-known aspects of Greta's life — from her parents' supporting roles in her work to her Asperger's diagnosis and her advocacy for mental health — capturing her fierce determination as just part of a full portrait of this daring Mighty Girl activist.
Who Is Greta Thunberg?
Who Is Greta Thunberg?
Greta Thunberg and her classmates were all worried when they saw a video about climate change and its effects on the environment — but after the video was over, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She couldn't eat, she stopped doing the things she loved, and she even stopped speaking. But with the help of her parents, she realized that she could take action, and hopefully, change the world. She started with a solo strike every Friday on the steps of the Swedish parliament. Before long, she had sparked a movement around the world! This captivating illustrated biography from the Who Was...? biography series' new Who HQ NOW format will introduce young readers to the inspiring story of the schoolgirl who sparked a worldwide revolution.
We Are All Greta: Be Inspired to Save the World
We Are All Greta: Be Inspired to Save the World
Greta Thunberg founded the School Strike for Climate movement — but we can all be part of making it a success! This inspiring, in-depth illustrated book mixes biographical information about Greta with a detailed introduction to how climate changes relates to everything from biodiversity to sustainable development. Kids will learn about how Greta founded the School Strike for Climate movement, and how they can fight for change in their own cities, states, and countries. Uplifting and empowering, this book is a must-have for anyone who wants kids to better understand what's happening to the environment and how they can make a difference.
No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference
No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference
Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg collects her most passionate and powerful speeches on environmental issues in this book! Eleven of her speeches from September 2018 to April 2019 are reproduced here, including "Our House Is On Fire," given at the World Economic Forum in Davos; "I'm Too Young To Do This," from Stockholm in February 2019; and "Can You Hear Me?" from the Houses of Parliament in London in April 2019. All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to charity.
Our House Is On Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis
Our House Is On Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis
Before Greta Thunberg became a household name for her fiery environmental activism, her family was facing a crisis on a smaller scale. At the age of 11, she had stopped eating and speaking; her parents Malena and Svante and her younger sister, Beata, found their lives turned upside down. It wasn't until they learned that Greta was deeply affected by the growing climate crisis — and what it meant for her future — that they figured out a way forward. In this stunning book, Greta and her family tell their own story, exploring the link between their family's challenges and the dangers facing our environment, and how understanding that link helped Greta become the leader of a worldwide movement for change.
Strike (She Series) Print
Strike (She Series) Print
Celebrate the power of demonstration and protest with this poster from artist Karen Hallion's She Series featuring Greta Thunberg! This poster features Greta's silhouette against a world map in the background, plus the word "strike" — a reminder than even a single person can change the world. The 11 by 14 inch poster is printed on 100lb cardstock and ships in a clear art sleeve and rolled in a cardboard poster tube.
