GRETA THUNBERG believes the threat of climate change needs to be addressed with the same urgency as the current coronavirus pandemic.
The 17-year-old activist called on governments across the world to take action as part of a programme for Swedish radio shared with the BBC.
Reflecting on the recent months of lockdown, Thunberg argued that the world has passed “some kind of social tipping point”.
“People are starting to realise that we cannot keep looking away from these things, we cannot keep sweeping these injustices under the carpet,” she said.
The interview saw the activist hit out at major industries for their misuse of terms like “sustainable”, “net-zero” and “environmentally friendly”.
Thunberg said that despite the fallout from the pandemic, she believes some hope for the climate can come out of the tragedy.
“It shows that in a crisis, you act, and you act with necessary force,” she said.
“Suddenly people in power are saying they will do whatever it takes since you cannot put a price on human life.”
The Swedish teenager added that she hoped coronavirus would prompt more discussion about the number of deaths causes by climate change and air pollution.
She was particularly critical of attempts by some governments to hide their overall carbon footprint by being selective about the types of emissions recorded in something akin to “creative accounting”.
In particular, she noted that some ignore emissions from ships and aircraft as well as goods produced in foreign factories.
“Doing our best is no longer good enough. We must now do the seemingly impossible. And that is up to you and me. Because no one else will do it for us,” she said.
See More: Climate Change, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Greta Thunberg
