Throughout 2019, Greta took a year off from school to focus on climate activism. She spoke at major climate conferences and supported student-led protests around the world. In September 2019, she sailed across the Atlantic on a zero-emissions yacht to attend the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York City—symbolizing the environmental cost of air travel.
Her speech at the UN, famously stating, “How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” went viral and became a turning point in climate discourse. The emotional and unapologetically direct address drew global attention and led to further commitment from political leaders to address global warming more seriously.
That same year, she inspired millions of people to join global climate strikes. Greta was subsequently named Time Magazine’s 2019 Person of the Year, becoming the youngest individual ever to receive the honor.
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