Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has just received $ 1.15 million in prizes for the 2020 Gulbenkian Humanity Prize, and has already vowed to give it away to environmental groups.
“That is more money than I can begin to imagine, but all the prize money will be donated, through my foundation, to different organizations and projects that work to help people on the front lines, affected by the climate crisis and the ecological crisis, Thunberg said in a video posted to his Twitter account on Monday.
Thunberg was chosen from a field of 136 nominees selected by a panel of “internationally renowned personalities” from various fields of science, technology, politics and culture, according to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, based in Portugal, which administers the prize.
“The way Greta Thunberg has been able to mobilize younger generations for the cause of climate change and her stubborn fight to alter a persistent status quo makes her one of the most notable figures of our day,” said Jorge Sampaio , chairman of the awards committee.
The first € 200,000 (about $ 231,000) will be donated to the SOS Amazonia campaign that fights against COVID-19 in Brazil and to an organization called Stop Ecocide Foundation, which aims to do “ecocide”, widespread damage or destruction of ecosystems caused For events that include oil spills, deforestation or contamination, an international crime.
GRETA THUNBERG NAMED TIME’S ‘PERSON OF THE YEAR’ 2019
Thunberg, born in 2003, quickly became an international figure due to her defense of the climate two years ago.
He sailed across the Atlantic Ocean last summer to speak at the United Nations, where he scolded world leaders in a widely viewed speech.
And then she was named Time Magazine “Person of the Year” for 2019.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg participates in the “Europa Climate Strike” demonstration in Brussels, Belgium, on March 6, 2020. REUTERS / Johanna Geron – RC2IEF99KSHH
“Thunberg started a global movement by skipping school: starting in August 2018, he spent his days camped out in front of the Swedish Parliament, holding a sign painted in black letters on a white background that said Skolstrejk för klimatet: ‘School Strike for Climate Time wrote at the time. “In the 16 months since then, he addressed UN heads of state, met with the Pope, confronted the President of the United States, and inspired 4 million people to join the global climate strike on 20 September 2019, in what was the largest climate demonstration in human history. “
Speaking at a climate strike in New York City last year, Thunberg said that people on every continent, including Antarctica, were participating in climate strikes to support his cause.
Forbes magazine honored her as one of the “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women of 2019” and has been twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, according to the Gulbenkian Foundation. It has also received Amnesty International’s top human rights award, according to The Guardian.
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According to the foundation, the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity aims to recognize individuals, groups or organizations whose contributions to mitigating climate change stand out for “novelty, innovation and impact”. The € 1 million cash prize currently equals around $ 1.15 million.
Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.
