Climate activist Greta Thunberg targeted the generational divide between herself and the world’s leaders while giving a speech at the World Economic Forum.
Thunberg, 17, addressed the forum on Tuesday at the annual gathering of world leaders in Davos, Switzerland. During her second appearance before the forum, Thunberg ripped world leaders for not doing enough to protect their children from climate change.
“Unlike you, my generation will not give up without a fight. The facts are clear, but they are still too uncomfortable for you to address. You just leave it because you think it’s too depressing and people will give up. But people will not give up. You’re the ones who are giving up,” Thunberg said.
She added, “I wonder what will you tell your children was the reason to fail and leave them facing a climate chaos that you knowingly brought upon them. That it seemed so bad for the economy that we decided to resign the idea of securing future living conditions without even trying? Our house is still on fire.”
Thunberg highlighted the vicious wildfires in Australia that have been burning for the past few weeks. She blamed climate change for the blaze and demanded that world leaders divest from all fossil fuels by cutting subsidies for oil producers and halting all exploration for new carbon-based fuel sources.
“We are telling you to act as if you loved your children above all else,” Thunberg said.
‘My generation will not give up without a fight’: Greta Thunberg delivers emotional and scathing speech to Davos summit pic.twitter.com/Czg4H0QMox
— The Independent (@Independent) January 21, 2020
Thunberg has become a regular at world leadership gatherings. In 2019, she addressed the United Nations in New York City as part of a tour of North America. The Swedish teenager was also named as Time magazine’s 2019 person of the year.
