Time described the blunt teen activist as the “most compelling voice on the most important issue facing the planet.”
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg gives a speech during a high-level event on climate emergency hosted by the Chilean presidency during the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 at the 'IFEMA - Feria de Madrid' exhibition centre, in Madrid, on December 11, 2019. (Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP)
Time magazine on Wednesday revealed Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as its Person of the Year 2019. Thunberg, who turns 17 in January, became the face of the climate change movement and represents billions of young people protesting for a healthy environment. Time described the blunt teen activist as the “most compelling voice on the most important issue facing the planet.”
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.@GretaThunberg is TIME’s 2019 Person of the Year #TIMEPOY https://t.co/YZ7U6Up76v pic.twitter.com/SWALBfeGl6
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— TIME (@TIME) December 11, 2019
Thunberg, whose climate activism went viral in 2018, delivered straightforward address to the UN General Assembly at the Climate Action Summit in New York City, held in September. In order to attend the conference, the teen activist travelled for nearly 14 days across the Atlantic Ocean in a zero-emission yacht.
During her speech she urged the world leaders to take immediate action to address the global climate crisis.
“I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean,” she added. “You have come to us young people for hope. How dare you? You have stolen my childhood with empty words. Yet, I’m one of the lucky ones,” Thunberg said during an emotional speech at the conference.
Thunberg’s protests since the beginning followed by her speech at the UN Assembly has inspired millions to participate in climate strikes. During September world climate strike events, scores of tech giants across the globe promised their devotion to sustainability. Google was one of the companies to commit $150 million to renewable energy projects.
In an article issued on Today, Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal said that the Nobel Peace Prize nominee has brought the issue of climate change from backstage to the center stage. He was quoted as saying, “Her rise in influence has been really extraordinary.”
(With input from agencies)
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