The 16-year-old climate activist was awarded the 2019 Nordic Council Environment Prize this week but has refused it saying “I want to thank the Nordic Council for this award. It is a huge honor. But the climate movement does not need any more awards. What we need is for our politicians and the people in power start to listen to the current, best available science.”
Both Sweden and Norway had nominated her for the award.
According to their website, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic Council are the main forums for official Nordic co-operation, which involves Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. Our vision is to make the Nordic region the most sustainable and integrated region in the world.
Thunberg, however, criticizes the Nordic countries saying they should be leading the way in phasing out dirty energy sources and significantly reducing emissions.
“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.”
Greta Thunberg was awarded the Nordic Council Environment Prize, but has chosen not to accept it in protest at a lack of climate action. This was the message from Isabelle Axelsson and Sophia from #FridaysForFuture 🌍 during the award ceremony: https://t.co/vxnuakQuMH #ActNow
— Nordic Co-operation (@nordenen) October 29, 2019
According to Common Dreams, Thunberg has accepted other awards—including Amnesty International’s top human rights award and the first “Freedom Prize” from France’s Normandy region —and was nominated for but did not ultimately receive this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
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