Climate change activist Greta Thurberg has refused to accept an environmental award worth NZ$80,000.
Not only did she decline the prize, she also called out Scandinavian countries for bragging about their environmental policies while failing to follow through with their "beautiful words".
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The teen posted on Instagram on Wednesday to announce she had won the Nordic Council Environmental Award, which comes with a prize of 500,000 Swedish kronor.
"The climate movement does not need any more awards," the teen posted, explaining her reasons for declining.
"What we need is for our politicians and the people in power to start to listen to the current, best available science."
Thunberg said it was a huge honour to win the award, but she would choose not to accept it "until [Nordic countries] start to act in accordance with what the science says is needed to limit the global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees or even 2 degrees Celsius".
Despite "no lack of bragging" from Nordic countries about their climate policies the reality left a lot to be desired, Thunberg said.
"When it comes to our actual emissions and our ecological footprints per capita - if we include our consumption, our imports as well as aviation and shipping - then it’s a whole other story."
As well as criticising the consumption of her fellow Swedes and surrounding countries, the teen hit out at the high number of permits given by the Norwegian government for new oil and gas exploration.
"The gap between what the science says is needed to limit the increase of global temperature rise to below 1.5 or even 2 degrees - and politics that run the Nordic countries is gigantic. And there are still no signs whatsoever of the changes required."
According to the BBC, the president of the Nordic Council, Hans Wallmark, said the organisation respected Thunberg's decision.
He said the council would think carefully about what to do with the prize money.
Newshub.
