Making a point...award for teen campaigner
TEENAGE climate-change activist Greta Thunberg will be celebrated at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards.
The Game Changer Of The Year Award has been created especially for the 16-year-old.
She has inspired pupils across Europe to skip school through her Fridays For Future movement and called for action from world leaders.
It “recognises Thunberg’s dedication to raising global awareness of climate change”.
GQ magazine editor Dylan Jones said: “The Game Changer Award was created for Greta Thunberg.
“Her fearless dedication to raising awareness of the global climate change crisis makes her the absolute embodiment of this award – and on behalf of GQ we couldn’t be prouder to celebrate her.”
The long-running awards, this year hosted by Welsh Hollywood star Michael Sheen, celebrates men and women in style, politics, entertainment and sport. Miss Thunberg, who will receive her award via video link, said: “I am very grateful and this award is for everyone in the Fridays For Future movement, everyone whose school is striking for the climate.
“We all deserve this award because together we have accomplished so much.
“So thank you to everyone who has been school striking as well.” The Swedish teenager is taking a year off school to keep campaigning. She points from the cover of GQ’s October issue wearing a black suit with the question “Can you hear me?”.
Inside, the Nobel Peace Prize nominee discusses US President Donald Trump’s 2017 decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement.
She said: “I don’t think I would say anything to him, because he’s obviously not listening to the science and the scientists and the experts.
“So what could I say to change his mind?
“I would say that we need a movement to do this together, because one person can’t change his mind.We need to do that together.”
Miss Thunberg is set to attend the UN climate summit in New York in September.
She plans to sail there by racing yacht in order to avoid air travel as well as polluting cruise ships.
She will receive the first Game Changer Of The Year Award at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2019 at a ceremony on September 3.
During a visit to a German anti-coal protest camp at the weekend, Miss Thunberg reiterated her opposition to the industry.
She said: “If we are to stay below 1.5 degrees of temperature rise, then science says that Germany can probably not continue to burn coal. I mean, another 20 years.
“That is not my opinion or what I think, that’s what science says.”