The issue of climate change has gained awareness worldwide
Half a decade ago, a young girl named Greta Thunberg protested by sitting in front of the Swedish parliament every Friday, holding a simple sign, and urging the government to take climate change seriously. Her silent protest led to the emergence of the “Fridays for Future” movement, which was joined by numerous young people across the globe. But what has “Fridays for Future” achieved?
Awareness of global warming has increased
Thanks to the continuous protests and the media presence of Thunberg and her fellow activists, the severe impacts of climate change are now familiar to almost everyone. The scientific data is clear, and the consequences of climate change are evident everywhere: from droughts in Africa to devastating wildfires in vacation regions and extreme heatwaves in Southern Europe.
However, despite the growing awareness and urgent need for action, there still exists a gap between knowledge and action. Many seem to ignore the effects and hope to remain unaffected. Greta Thunberg repeatedly emphasizes that, although millions of people are demanding changes, progress is still too slow and the emission of harmful gases continues to rise.
Thunberg urges radical measures to protect the climate, in order to prevent the worst and mitigate the catastrophic effects already experienced. She believes that the pressure from the “Fridays for Future” movement remains essential for this purpose.
Some Bright spots in the fight against climate change
Despite the concerning situation, there are positive developments as well. Greta Thunberg has inspired a generation to live more environmentally conscious lives. The engagement of the climate movement is showing initial successes, such as in cities like Kiel and Lübeck, which have embarked on the path to climate neutrality.
For instance, Kiel plans to become climate-neutral by 2040, through initiatives like expanding renewable energy and electromobility. Lübeck even aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2035.
In 2022, Austria recorded the lowest level of greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, with a decrease of 6.4% compared to the previous year. However, despite these positive developments, global emissions continue to rise, primarily driven by major economies like the United States and China.
The challenge lies in reducing our consumption to protect the climate. Much credit for raising awareness about this issue goes to Greta Thunberg, who still, over 260 weeks later, protests with her sign in front of the parliament in Stockholm.