Greta Thunberg:  After Sweden’s hottest summer ever (2018) and devastating forest fires, Greta knew that she had to do something to fight climate change for her generation and for generations to come. She was angry that the Swedish government was not dealing fast enough with the climate change crisis or meeting the carbon emissions target it had agreed to in 2015.

In protest, Greta skipped school and spent the day in front of the Swedish parliament building with her sign “Skolstrejk För Klimatet” (“School Strike For Climate”). During Greta’s act of singular defiance, she posted about her strike on social media. A few journalists came to speak with her but for most of the day she sat alone. Each day afterwards, an increasing number of people joined Greta in protest. By early September, Greta decided to continue her strike every Friday until Sweden aligned with the Paris Agreement.

By the end of 2018, Greta’s strike inspired tens of thousands of kids across Europe to strike on Fridays in protest of their own government’s lack of action. This soon grew into the worldwide Fridays For Future Movement, making Greta a worldwide icon at age 16.
(Stockholm, Sweden: 2018)