— No climate justice on occupied land

Greta Thunberg has been the target of countless conspiracy theories since she started striking for climate action at the age of 15. She believes this is a symptom of a society that prefers to shoot the messenger rather than listen to the message.

— I mean, there's been at least one new conspiracy theory about me every day for the last almost seven years now. So I have a hard time keeping track of it, I must admit, Thunberg says to the full crowd of people at the event hosted by Students for Palestine.

At the event Thunberg met with United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese.

She argues that the criticism against her is not based on logic but rather on spreading false claims.

— One day I am an extreme capitalist, apparently making lots of money from being an activist, and the next day I am an extreme communist.

— One day I am being controlled by a Jewish elite, and then by the same people, often the very same individuals, the next day I am an anti-Semite.

Thunberg finds it ironic that some of the most powerful individuals feel threatened by young people advocating for a better world and adds:

— But I think the funniest thing is when very powerful people have their meltdowns and post them on social media against teenagers who are just trying to make the world a better place.

— That is really funny because it shows that these people, the most powerful people in the world, feel threatened by teenagers, she says and laughs. 

The Thunberg Generation

When Universitas asks about Norwegian youth politician Ola Svenneby’s claim in 2023 that the “Greta Thunberg generation is dead,” Thunberg dismissed the idea outright.

— Well, personally I don't know what the Greta Thunberg generation is, and I think young people are becoming more and more informed and aware of what is happening and becoming more enraged.

She adds that it is then about directing that anger and frustration towards the right people—the ones that are actually putting everything and everyone we love at risk. 

— Whatever that generation is called, for sure it is not dead.

The media coverage of Thunberg has shifted, and she is no longer the same presence after she became an activist for Palestine. Especially in Germany, the media has very little coverage of her and her work.

— If you just look at the political interest and the economic interest that runs the media, it is very easy to understand why they don't like when people say certain things, Thunberg says, and adds:

— It is much easier to get behind a little girl who says we need to save the planet rather than to get behind a statement that says that the current system we have is inherently bad and is leading to inhuman amounts of suffering.

Climate Justice and Palestine

For the last year Thunberg has been an outspoken speaker for Palestine, which has led to questions regarding how she shifted her activism. Her answer is that she believes that the climate crisis is intertwined with social and political injustices, including the situation in Palestine.

— First, if we zoom out, these times are defined by globalised violence, oppression, and marginalisation. Rising inequalities are interconnected crises that reinforce each other and lead to unimaginable suffering.

She criticises what she sees as Western double standards in expressions of solidarity.

— When we spoke up in solidarity with Ukraine, we were not called anti-Semitic. But when we spoke up in solidarity with Palestine, that was a whole different story. Why? Because of racism, she argues.

According to Thunberg, climate justice and the fight against colonialism and oppression are inseparable struggles.

— There can be no climate justice on occupied land. We are fighting against the same system that oppresses marginalised people, the same system that is destabilising the entire planet and biosphere, the very living conditions that we all depend on to survive, says Thunberg and adds:

— If you claim to be a climate justice activist but fail to stand up for all the people being colonised, marginalised, and suffering today, then you shouldn’t be able to call yourself a climate justice activist.

The Military Industry and Climate Destruction

The military industry is for Thunberg a major contributor to climate change.

— The fight against the climate crisis is just as much a fight against the fossil fuel industry as it is against the weapons industry and militarisation in general—for obvious reasons, she says.

In the meeting between her and Albanese, Thunberg challenges those who fail to see the connection between war and the environment.

— People are afraid of being seen as radical or political—but why wouldn’t the climate crisis be political?

— People are so scared of scrutiny, so scared of being attacked in the media, that they allow that fear to outweigh their opposition to war and genocide. She urges climate activists, peace movements, and decolonisation movements to unite.

— We can't have environmentally friendly bombs.

Greta Thunberg has long been critical of international climate negotiations such as the COP (Conference of Parties) meetings.

— The COPs have now become a greenwashing circus where we are not actually challenging anything. The negotiators and the world leaders are still afraid to use the F-word, she says, referring to fossil fuels.

She believes that these negotiations have failed to deliver meaningful results, and that if the meetings were actually working, we would have seen real reductions by now.

– We are breaching the 1.5 degree target, further escalating into an existential climate emergency.

Activism and Responsibility

During the conversation she defended a critical stance against activism without conscience.

— If you claim to be a climate justice activist but fail to stand up for all the people being colonised and marginalised and suffering today, then you shouldn’t be able to call yourself a climate activist. 

Finally, she showed us where her determination as an activist comes from. 

– I don’t have to wake up every day and fight for my right to exist—that is privilege. And with privilege comes responsibility, Thunberg adds.

She calls out those with platforms who choose to remain silent in their privilege, and says she will never forgive these people who make the choice not to speak up. Despite facing harsh criticism, Thunberg remains committed to her cause. To how she manages to keep being hopeful, Thunberg answers the following:

— Hope is a verb. It's something that you have to earn. We need to keep the pressure up, we need to fight for every fraction of a degree, because who are we to give up, she asks, referring to the 2023 UN Climate Report.

— There is simply too much at stake.