Published 13:59 IST, January 21st 2020
Trump, Thunberg to present starkly different views at World Economic Forum in Davos
Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg and US President Donald Trump will reportedly clash in Davos on Jan 21 at the 50th World Economic Forum in Davos
Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg and the United States President Donald Trump will reportedly clash in Davos on January 21 at 50th meeting of World Economic Forum. Both Thunberg and Trump have starkly different views on global warming and will be attending the four-day gathering of the world's top political and business leaders aimed to discuss the dangers of environment and economy.
Even though both will reportedly not meet, Trump will give the first keynote address in the Swiss Alps on the same day his impeachment trial begins in the US Senate. On another hand, the 17-year-old will demand the leaders to put an 'end to their madness' for fossil fuels. Thunberg reportedly claims that she wants changes 'right now' and not by 2050 or 2030 or even 2021.
Since the 2015 Paris agreement, according to Rainforest Action’s report, 33 major global banks have collectively invested $1.9 trillion into fossil fuels.
Thunberg wrote on Twitter, “Today’s business, as usual, is turning into a crime against humanity. We demand that leaders play their part in putting an end to this madness. These are our demands for the #WEF2020 in #Davos.”
Trump has previously expressed his doubts about climate change and slammed climate concerns on Twitter. Even during the annual General Assembly meeting at United Nations headquarters last year, Thunberg was spotted staring at the US President with apparent fury. Trump has not only withdrawn from the climate accord of 2015 but also opposes renewable energy.
Thunberg gets back at Trump
Last year on December 13, Thunberg had subtly hit back at Trump for taking a dig at her over being named the 'Person of the Year' for 2019 by Time Magazine and asked the teenager to 'chill'. Thunberg changed her Twitter bio to the exact remarks made by US President at her on the very same platform. The 17-year-old is the youngest person to be chosen by the American magazine in a tradition that started way back in 1927.
This was not the first Trump-Thunberg spat. In November, Greta Thunberg said Donald Trump's denial of climate change was 'so extreme' that it has helped many people to 'wake up'.
In an interview with an international media agency, the teen activist said that Trump delivers such extreme things that have provoked people to quit the long period of waiting while the climate emergency is destroying the planet.
Updated 13:59 IST, January 21st 2020