Berlin — Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg called on world leaders Tuesday to acknowledge the seriousness of global warming and that not enough is being done to curb it. Speaking at a conference in the Austrian capital, Vienna, Thunberg suggested it was wrong to portray the worldwide shift necessary to rein in climate change as “primarily an opportunity to create new green jobs, new businesses, green economic growth,” as some political and business leaders have done.
“This is above all an emergency and not just any emergency. This is the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced,” she said, adding: “This is not something you can like on Facebook.”
On Tuesday, Thunberg met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Austrian President President Alexander Van der Bellen and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The actor-turned-politician posted a picture with Thunberg on his official Twitter account on Monday.
The 16-year-old’s activism, which started with her protesting alone in front of the Swedish parliament last August, has inspired regular student protests around the world. Green parties in Europe have credited Thunberg with helping propel the issue of climate change into the limelight, boosting their results in last week’s European Parliament elections.
