New Delhi: 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has been named TIME’s 2019 Person of the Year.
Thunberg, who is known for her blunt addresses to world leaders, is the youngest individual ever named TIME’s Person of the Year.
“Thunberg has become the biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet—and the avatar of a broader generational shift in our culture”, TIME magazine said.
Thunberg began a global movement by skipping school: starting in August 2018, she spent her days camped out in front of the Swedish Parliament, holding a sign painted in black letters on a white background that read Skolstrejk för klimatet: “School Strike for Climate.”
In the 16 months since, she has addressed heads of state at the U.N., met with the Pope, sparred with the President of the United States and inspired 4 million people to join the global climate strike on September 20, 2019, in what was the largest climate demonstration in human history, according to reports.