Timeline: The rise and impact of Greta Thunberg

Image: Anders Hellberg Anders Hellberg [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

From passionate speeches at major political summits to zero-carbon, multi-week voyages across the globe, Greta Thunberg has sparked an unprecedented level of demands, concerns and indeed a global movement on climate change.

What started off as a solo school climate strike in the summer of 2018 has blossomed into a global movement that had led to widescale calls for policy change that has not only informed the wider public of the climate emergency, but also pressured policymakers and businesses alike to respond through new legislation – namely net-zero in the UK – and commitments.

Also dubbed Fridays4Future, the movement was started by teenage activist Greta Thunberg and has garnered the support of millions of children and young people across the world, as well as high-level politicians and business leaders.

Thunberg’s movement is built on the notion that current efforts aren’t enough to limit the worst impacts of global warming, a notion that the scientific community agree with. Despite national pledges, the world is largely on course for more than 3C of global temperature increases, which will lead to irreversible climate damages.

While Greta’s work has only just started, her arrival at the COP conference in Madrid – originally scheduled for Chile – has ignited fresh calls for nations to accelerate efforts to combat climate change. In light of this, edie has created a timeline outlining her notable and remarkable achievements to date. Enjoy.

edie staff