Climate activist Greta Thunberg in Berlin last week to meet German leader Angela Merkel. Bloomberg
Climate activist Greta Thunberg in Berlin last week to meet German leader Angela Merkel. Bloomberg
Climate activist Greta Thunberg in Berlin last week to meet German leader Angela Merkel. Bloomberg
Climate activist Greta Thunberg in Berlin last week to meet German leader Angela Merkel. Bloomberg

Europe

Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg returns to school after year of protest

Pandemic lockdowns have largely stopped Ms Thunberg from being able to make the case for action in person

Simon Rushton
Simon Rushton

August 25, 2020

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Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is returning to school after a gap year in which she rose to become the voice of a youth protest movement that took some of the world’s most powerful leaders to task on the environment.

Ms Thunberg, 17, posed with a backpack and bicycle in a picture posted to Twitter saying she was looking forward to being back in school.

“My gap year from school is over, and it feels so great to finally be back in school again!”

A wave of youth-led protests swept the globe after Ms Thunberg went on strike outside parliament in her home country of Sweden in 2018.

Ms Thunberg travelled the world – often by the most environmentally friendly means possible – to lead protests calling on politicians to take action on rising global temperatures and live up to the agreements enshrined in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.

Her impassioned pleas to those in power, including speeches at the World Economic Forum in Davos and the COP25 climate summit in Madrid, cemented her position as the figurehead of the protest movement.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg onboard the racing boat Malizia II in the Atlantic Ocean on August 24. EPA
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg onboard the racing boat Malizia II in the Atlantic Ocean on August 24. EPA
Greta watches a dolphin swimming alongside the racing boat Malizia II in the Atlantic Ocean on August 14. EPA
Greta watches a dolphin swimming alongside the racing boat Malizia II in the Atlantic Ocean on August 14. EPA
Team Malizia's Pierre Casiraghi in a cabin onboard the racing boat Malizia II in the Atlantic Ocean.
Team Malizia's Pierre Casiraghi in a cabin onboard the racing boat Malizia II in the Atlantic Ocean.
Greta set sail from Plymouth, Britain on August 14, 2019. Reuters
Greta set sail from Plymouth, Britain on August 14, 2019. Reuters
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg walks along the quayside to board. AFP
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg walks along the quayside to board. AFP
Ms Thunberg said her focus was on getting the people in power to react and respond to climate change. AFP
Ms Thunberg said her focus was on getting the people in power to react and respond to climate change. AFP
She said she would continue “to do everything I can” in the fight against global warming despite the many people who claim climate change is not happening. AFP
She said she would continue “to do everything I can” in the fight against global warming despite the many people who claim climate change is not happening. AFP
Asked if she could get US President Trump to listen to her considering how many world leaders she had met, Ms Thunberg said “no”.
Asked if she could get US President Trump to listen to her considering how many world leaders she had met, Ms Thunberg said “no”.
Greta Thunberg said she receives “unimaginable amounts” of abuse from her critics. AFP
Greta Thunberg said she receives “unimaginable amounts” of abuse from her critics. AFP
The young climate activist has rallied thousands to her cause. AFP
The young climate activist has rallied thousands to her cause. AFP
The Malizia II racing yacht carrying Swedish 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg sails through New York Harbor as she nears the completion of her trans-Atlantic crossing in order to attend a United Nations summit on climate change in New York, U.S., August 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar
The Malizia II racing yacht carrying Swedish 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg sails through New York Harbor as she nears the completion of her trans-Atlantic crossing in order to attend a United Nations summit on climate change in New York, U.S., August 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Swedish 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg sails underneath the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on the Malizia II racing yacht in New York Harbor as she nears the completion of her trans-Atlantic crossing in order to attend a United Nations summit on climate change in New York, U.S., August 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Swedish 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg sails underneath the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on the Malizia II racing yacht in New York Harbor as she nears the completion of her trans-Atlantic crossing in order to attend a United Nations summit on climate change in New York, U.S., August 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar
The Malizia II racing yacht carrying Swedish 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg sails underneath the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York Harbor as she nears the completion of her trans-Atlantic crossing in order to attend a United Nations summit on climate change in New York, U.S., August 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar
The Malizia II racing yacht carrying Swedish 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg sails underneath the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York Harbor as she nears the completion of her trans-Atlantic crossing in order to attend a United Nations summit on climate change in New York, U.S., August 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Greta Thunberg, 16, a Swedish environmental activist, sails into New York harbor aboard the Malizia II, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. The zero-emissions yacht left Plymouth, England on August 14. She is scheduled to address the United Nations Climate Action Summit on Sept. 23. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Greta Thunberg, 16, a Swedish environmental activist, sails into New York harbor aboard the Malizia II, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. The zero-emissions yacht left Plymouth, England on August 14. She is scheduled to address the United Nations Climate Action Summit on Sept. 23. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Swedish 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg stands on the Malizia II racing yacht in New York Harbor as she nears the completion of her trans-Atlantic crossing in order to attend a United Nations summit on climate change in New York, U.S., August 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Swedish 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg stands on the Malizia II racing yacht in New York Harbor as she nears the completion of her trans-Atlantic crossing in order to attend a United Nations summit on climate change in New York, U.S., August 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, 16, arrives in the US after a 15-day journey crossing the Atlantic in the Malizia II, a zero-carbon yacht, on August 28, 2019 in New York. "Land!! The lights of Long Island and New York City ahead," she tweeted early Wednesday. She later wrote on Twitter that her yacht had anchored off the entertainment district of Coney Island in Brooklyn to clear customs and immigration. / AFP / Johannes EISELE
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, 16, arrives in the US after a 15-day journey crossing the Atlantic in the Malizia II, a zero-carbon yacht, on August 28, 2019 in New York. "Land!! The lights of Long Island and New York City ahead," she tweeted early Wednesday. She later wrote on Twitter that her yacht had anchored off the entertainment district of Coney Island in Brooklyn to clear customs and immigration. / AFP / Johannes EISELE
Greta Thunberg, A 16-year-old Swedish climate activist smiles as she sails into New York harbor aboard the Malizia II, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. The zero-emissions yacht left Plymouth, England on Aug. 14. She is scheduled to address the United Nations Climate Action Summit on Sept. 23. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Greta Thunberg, A 16-year-old Swedish climate activist smiles as she sails into New York harbor aboard the Malizia II, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. The zero-emissions yacht left Plymouth, England on Aug. 14. She is scheduled to address the United Nations Climate Action Summit on Sept. 23. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
The Malizia II racing yacht carrying Swedish 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg sails through New York Harbor as she nears the completion of her trans-Atlantic crossing in order to attend a United Nations summit on climate change in New York, U.S., August 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar
The Malizia II racing yacht carrying Swedish 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg sails through New York Harbor as she nears the completion of her trans-Atlantic crossing in order to attend a United Nations summit on climate change in New York, U.S., August 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Ms Thunberg met former US president Barack Obama but did not secure a meeting with Donald Trump, who has pulled his country - one of the world’s biggest polluters - out of the Paris agreement.

As coronavirus swept the planet, many countries introduced lockdown orders and banned international travel.

Sweden’s coronavirus strategy was more relaxed than elsewhere in Europe, but international restrictions have largely stopped Ms Thunberg from being able to make the case for action in person.

Last week, however, she met German Chancellor Angel Merkel to demand tougher action to fight climate change.

During the meeting, protesters outside the government buildings chanted: “We are here, we are loud, because our future’s being stolen.”

Ms Thunberg called on the German leader to step out of her "comfort zone" and speed up action to fight the climate emergency.

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