Greta Thunberg returns Nordic council's Award and 500,000 prize money

Popular environmentalist and climate action activist Greta Thunberg has declined to accept the Nordic Council’s environmental award 2019 and the prize money of 500,000 Swedish kronor. Taking to Instagram, Thunberg cited that climate movement doesn't need awards and recognitions adding that much was required to be done in order to curb the deteriorating climate. Thunberg in her Instagram post added that politicians and people in power needed to pay attention to the worsening climate conditions.

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Bringing to the world's notice, Thunberg said that the Norwegian government has recently accorded a number of permits in the hunt for oil and gas which would add to the emissions. She added that the newly opened Oil and Gas field: Johan Sverdrup of Norway is expected to generate global CO2 emissions of about 1.3 tonnes.

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Thunberg hits out at Nordic countries

Slamming the politics that goes in the Nordic countries, Thunberg said that the Nordic countries carried a great reputation around the world for their stance on climate and environmental issues, but when it came to actual emissions and ecological footprints per capita, the countries were no less responsible for degrading climate than rest of the world, adding that there were still no signs of a substantial change required to counter climate change.

The 16-year-old activist has received the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes dubbed the "alternative Nobel". However, Thunberg in an interview had stressed the fact that while the awards could be in recognition for the movements, she and her supporters weren't doing this to get awards and prizes. In her stinging United Nations General Assembly speech, Thunberg had slammed the world leaders for their “betrayal” of young people through their inertia over the climate crisis at a United Nations summit that failed to deliver ambitious new commitments to address dangerous global heating.

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