Greta Thunberg quotes

At just 16 years old, Greta Thunberg has become a famous figure across the world for her unrelenting commitment to fighting climate change. She could be considered one of the most relevant people in 2019 within the field of climate change activism. 

She has delivered a number of powerful speeches since she started her ‘Fridays for Future’ movement last year. As a result of her passionate activism millions of young people have joined her on protest demonstrations demanding action against climate change - many children so inspired they were seen to walk out of school to take part.  

Greta Thunberg attended the 2019 COP25 climate summit in Madrid, with her usual passionate personna. Her charisma lies precisely in her humility, humanity and determination. 

On 6 December, Thunberg took part in a press conference organised by the Youth for Climate and Fridays For Future movements at the Montemadrid Foundation's social and cultural centre, shortly before joining around 500,000 peaceful protestors who took to the streets of Madrid for the climate march on Friday.

We have compiled some of the most powerful words Greta expressed during COP25 in Madrid. 

• "I sincerely hope COP25 will reach something concrete and increase awareness among people, and that world leaders and people in power grasp the urgency of the climate crisis, because right now it does not seem that they are.”

• “Change is what we young people are bringing and that is why they want to silence us and that is just a proof that we are having an impact that our voices are being heard that they try so desperately to silence us.”

• "We have been striking now for over a year and still, basically, nothing has happened...the climate crisis is still being ignored by those in power and we cannot go on like this.”

• “Please save your praise, we don’t want it. Don’t invite us here to tell us how inspiring we are without doing anything about it. It doesn’t lead to anything."

• "We don't just want promises, and we've heard a lot. We want you to act.”

Greta Thunberg made an important stance at 2019 UN General Assembly during her speech in New York. We’ve captured some of her most poignant words.

• “What is your message to world leaders?

• "We will be watching you"

• "You come to us, the young people, seeking hope. How do you find yourselves? (How dare you?)"

• "You stole my childhood and my dreams, with your empty words"

• "People are suffering, they're dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We're at the beginning of a mass extinction, and all they talk about is fairy tale promises of eternal economic growth. How dare you?"

• "For more than 30 years, science has been crystal clear: how dare you keep looking the other way?"

• "if you really understood the situation and still kept on failing to act, then you would be evil, and that I refuse to believe."