Greta Thunberg Turns Down Environmental Prize: 'The Climate Movement Does Not Need Any More Prizes'

Inspiring teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has declined an environmental prize stating "the climate movement does not need any more prizes." She has influenced millions across the world to exercise their rights by protesting to urge world leaders to come up with more effective laws and regulations to combat global warming.

Although Thunberg was not present at the regional inter-parliamentary Nordic Council's prize ceremony, two fellow climate activists spoke on Thunberg's behalf on Tuesday in Stockholm, Sweden. They read a statement thanking the group for the honor while Thunberg, 16, is currently in California.

Climate activists Sofia and Isabella Axelsson quoted Thunberg as saying that "what we need is for our rulers and politicians to listen to the research."

The ceremony was in celebration of the Nordic Council who awards annual prizes for literature, youth literature, film, music and the environment. Each of the awards is worth 350,000 Danish kroner ($52,000).

However, the award is not the first prize that the climate activist has won or been nominated for. This year Thunberg was nominated by three Norwegian lawmakers for the Nobel Peace Prize because they believe "the massive movement Greta has set in motion is a very important peace contribution."

Last year, Thunberg, who was three months into her school climate strike campaign, declined the Children's Climate Prize which is awarded by a Swedish electricity company. She declined the award because each finalist had to fly to Stockholm to engage in the ceremony. Thunberg explained her refusal of the award by stating flights contribute to global warming.

Therefore, she decided to sail across the Atlantic Ocean for two weeks on a zero-emissions sailboat in order to reach New York. Once she arrived, the activist automatically scolded a U.N. climate conference in September, repeatedly asking, "How dare you?"

"We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and yet all you can talk about is money, she continued. "You are failing us."

Thunberg has also been made the recipient of the 2019 Right Livelihood Award also known as the "Alternative Nobel" for inspiring and amplifying political demands for urgent climate action reflecting scientific facts. In May 2019, she was named a "next-generation leader" in which she was featured on the cover of the Times magazine.