Financial Times Profile picture
This account is now closed. For the best of FT journalism, including breaking news and analysis, follow @ft

Mar 31, 2021, 10 tweets

Greta Thunberg became the world’s most celebrated climate activist on the back of this idea: children have to wake up to the reality of climate change.

It begs the question: what’s next for the most famous climate champion of her generation? on.ft.com/3u6IQDm

Greta Thunberg was just 15 when she started the ‘school strike for climate’.

She’d skip classes and sit outside the Swedish parliament — at first alone, then with hundreds of others every Friday, and eventually millions of students joined her movement ft.com/content/6ee4bb…

Today, the world is very different — even for Thunberg. She’s back in school, and isn’t cutting classes on Fridays any more: protests during the pandemic have been mostly virtual.

She says the coronavirus crisis did teach us a lesson ft.com/content/6ee4bb…

Greta Thunberg is undeniably the face of the climate movement and has done a lot already. In the past two years:
- Dozens of countries announced targets of ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050
- China and the US have both made climate change a diplomatic priority
ft.com/content/6ee4bb…

‘The Greta Effect’ has clearly taken on a life of its own, becoming the subject of study and debate by activists, academics and executives.

Why does she think she became famous? ft.com/content/6ee4bb…

Greta Thunberg has long avoided detailed discussions of solutions to climate change, but her message is evolving:

‘We need to stop focusing on dates and numbers and actually accept and acknowledge the fact that we need to reduce our emissions right now’
ft.com/content/6ee4bb…

In one of her most famous moments on stage, Greta Thunberg addressed the UN Climate Action Summit with what looked like tears of rage in her eyes.
ft.com/content/6ee4bb…

The 18-year-old Swedish activist has inspired millions of young people ft.com/content/6ee4bb…

In many ways Thunberg’s platform shows the great power that protest can have — but also its limitations.

The child activists will eventually grow up. And the next steps in the climate movement are likely to fall to scientists, policymakers or engineers
ft.com/content/6ee4bb…

So, what’s next for Greta Thunberg? One thing is for sure: ‘We are still going to do everything we can. And continue to communicate the science, and to be a pain in the ass for people in power.’

Read @lesliehook’s full interview with her here:
ft.com/content/6ee4bb…

Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.

A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.

Keep scrolling