Greta Thunberg: teenager on a global mission to ‘make a difference’

Swedish environment activist's campaign began with solo climate protest and drew 4 million to latest strikes

The Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has become known globally for her environmental campaign. In August 2018, aged 15, Thunberg began a solo climate protest by striking from school. She has since been joined by tens of thousands of school and university students in more than a dozen countries, in climate strikes that have become regular events. A global strike in March drew more than a million people, surpassed in September by the biggest yet with at least 4 million.

Thunberg has described the rapid spread of the strikes around the world as amazing. "It proves you are never too small to make a difference," she said. Her protests were inspired by US students who staged walkouts to demand better gun controls in response to multiple school shootings.