Climate activist Greta Thunberg, centre, sits in front of the offices of Aspen Insurance in London, England, during a protest to support the Palestine Action protesters on hunger strike in prison.
| Photo Credit: AP

A Malaysian activist, one of those who were sailing aboard vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla, which were seized by Israeli forces, carries a Palestinian flag after arriving at Istanbul Airport on a special flight, in Istanbul, Turkey, October 4, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Sweden’s climate activist Greta Thunberg attends a rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024
| Photo Credit: AP

Climate activist Greta Thunberg on Monday (November 11, 2024) attended a rally in Georgia to protest against Azerbaijan hosting the annual United Nations climate talks.

Ms. Thunberg and scores of other activists who rallied in Tbilisi, the capital of the South Caucasus nation, argued that Azerbaijan doesn’t deserve to host the climate talks because of its repressive policies.

U.N. climate talks, called COP29, opened Monday (November 11, 2024) in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, a major oil producer where the world’s first oil well was drilled.

Thunberg described Azerbaijan as “a repressive, occupying state, which has committed ethnic cleansing, and which is continuing cracking down on Azerbaijani civil society.” She charged that the Caspian Sea nation has used the summit as “a chance to greenwash their crimes and human rights abuses.”

“We can’t give them any legitimacy in this situation, which is why we are standing here and saying no to greenwashing and no to the Azerbaijani regime,” she said.

Azerbaijan has committed to clean energy projects, but critics have argued that’s just to export more oil and gas.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has been in power since 2003 when he succeeded his father who died after ruling the oil-rich nation for the previous decade. He has been accused by critics of intolerance to dissent and freedom of speech.

Earlier this year, Mr. Aliyev won another seven-year presidential term in an election that monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said took place in a “restrictive environment” with no real political competition.

Mr. Aliyev called the early vote while enjoying a surge in popularity after Azerbaijani forces in September 2023 swiftly reclaimed the Karabakh region from ethnic Armenian separatists, who had controlled it for three decades.

After Azerbaijan regained full control of Karabakh, most of its 120,000 Armenian residents fled. The Azerbaijani authorities, however, said they were welcome to stay and promised their human rights would be ensured.

Ms. Thunberg, 21, has inspired a global youth movement demanding stronger efforts to fight climate change after staging weekly protests outside the Swedish parliament starting in 2018.

The European climate service Copernicus announced earlier this month that the world is on pace for 1.5 degrees of warming this year, which is heading to become the hottest year in human civilization.

Speaking at the rally in Tbilisi on Monday (November 11, 2024), Thunberg emphasized that the hottest year ever recorded comes after global greenhouse gas emissions reached an all-time high last year. Holding the climate change conference “in an authoritarian petro state is beyond absurd,” she said.

The rally was calling for the European Union to end subsidies on Fossil Fuels.

Perth, Australia:

In June 2024, 13 young people in Hawaii took on their state government in court and won the right to have greater input in climate policy.

They sued the state for infringing on their right to “a clean and healthful environment”, as promised under the State constitution.

In victory, the young people forced a number of concessions including a pledge to pursue net zero by 2040 and over USD 40 million investment in electric vehicles over the next six years.

Young people are turning to activism as a way to process the emotional weight of a world in crisis.

From Greta Thunberg to Australia’s Anjali Sharma, there are plenty of people in Gen Z who are taking action on climate.

Despite the United Nations also adding the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2022 which further opens the possibility to take governments to the courts, it’s not easy.

Gen Z is growing up in an era where the impacts of climate change are both immediate and undeniable and it’s leaving them feeling powerless.

Generation Z – those born between 1995 and 2010 – make up 30 per cent of the global population. In Australia’s latest census, Gen Z accounted for 18.2 per cent (or 4.6 million) of the country’s 25 million population.

Unlike previous generations, who had time to gradually adjust to the realities of environmental transformations, Generation Z is acutely aware of the ecological crises unfolding around them, leading to a deep sense of environmental anxiety.

Distress and fear

As a result, many digitally connected, globally aware Gen Zers experience intense climate anxiety, characterised by chronic fear, distress and deep concern for the planet’s future.

A survey of Australian Gen Z university students was conducted between September 2021 and April 2022 with 446 participants which revealed that climate change is their top environmental concern.

They often feel let down by older generations, governments and institutions, whose actions seem inadequate in the face of the growing evidence about the environmental threats the world and Australia in particular face.

More than 80 per cent of the young people participating in the survey expressed significant worry and many experienced severe climate anxiety.

This anxiety manifests in various forms, including eco-anxiety, solastalgia (distress triggered by environmental changes) and climate grief, reflecting the complex emotional landscape of a generation coming of age amid a global environmental emergency.

The situation Gen Z faces and their future prospects are further exacerbated by the complexity of other developments resulting in what is known as a polycrisis, a “great disagreement, confusion, or suffering that is caused by many different problems happening at the same time so that they together have a very big effect.”

Existential threat

Eco-anxiety, a chronic fear of an environmental catastrophe, arises from the perception that climate change poses an existential threat.

For many in Gen Z, the overwhelming nature of this threat leads to persistent worry and stress. This is also fuelled by the sense of urgency and responsibility they think they have to comply with.

Gen Z is witnessing their local natural environments and the broader global ecosystem undergo rapid, often destructive and irreversible changes, including biodiversity loss, species extinction and the degradation of ecosystems.

Many experience profound grief which is tied not just to physical harm, but also to the loss of hope for a stable and prosperous future.

With 96 per cent of Australian Gen Zs believing that climate change is human-made, young people are experiencing heightened levels of stress, anxiety and depression as they grapple with the realities of a warming planet.

For some members of Gen Z, the constant stream of climate-related news, coupled with personal experiences of climate-related calamities, such as wildfires, floods, droughts or cyclones, leads to a form of trauma that can have long-lasting effects on mental health.

A generational crisis

For Gen Z, climate change anxiety is not just about fear of environmental destruction; it is also about grappling with a crisis of identity and purpose.

As they come of age in a world that seems increasingly unstable and unpredictable, many young people are questioning what kind of future they can expect to have, and whether it is even ethical to plan for the future in traditional ways, such as pursuing professional careers, starting families or buying homes, when the planet is in such peril.

This crisis of identity is further complicated by the pressure to act. Many young people feel a deep sense of responsibility to address climate change, but this can also ignite feelings of guilt and shame when they perceive their actions as insufficient.

The weight of this responsibility can be overwhelming, leading to burnout and a sense of futility.

The role of activism

In response to these challenges, some members of Gen Z are channelling their anxiety into activism.

Climate activism is seen as a way to regain a sense of control and agency in the face of overwhelming challenges.

This activism takes many forms, from participating in global climate strikes to advocating for sustainable policies at the local level. However, activism is not a panacea for climate anxiety.

This is seen from the answers of 65 per cent of Australia’s university Gen Z who do not engage in traditional climate activism, but instead are using technology and social media to voice their concerns.

While it can provide a sense of purpose and community, activism can also be exhausting. The constant need to fight for change, coupled with the slow pace of progress, can lead to burnout and exacerbate mental health issues.

Additionally, the pressure to always be “on” and engaged in activism can be mentally and emotionally draining, leading to further feelings of hopelessness and despair.

Mental health support

Given the significant mental health challenges posed by climate change anxiety, there is a growing recognition of the need for robust mental health support for Gen Z.

This support must be tailored to address the unique challenges of climate anxiety, experiencing unprecedented levels of fear and despair, and feelings of hopelessness that are so prevalent among young people.

There is a need for more mental health professionals trained to understand and address eco-anxiety and related issues. Therapeutic interventions that focus on building resilience, fostering a sense of agency and helping young people navigate their complex emotions are crucial.

Building supportive communities where young people can share their experiences, particularly positive outcomes, and feelings about climate change is also important.

These communities can provide a sense of solidarity and help combat the isolation that often accompanies climate anxiety. Schools and educational institutions can play a key role in addressing climate anxiety by incorporating discussions about mental health and climate change into their curricula.

By providing young people with the tools to understand and cope with their emotions, educational initiatives can help mitigate the psychological impacts of climate anxiety.

The way forward

The challenges posed by climate change anxiety for Gen Z are indeed profound and multifaceted.

However, the importance and urgency of their role cannot be overstated. With the climate crisis in a time of polycrisis worsening, Gen Z’s involvement in shaping a resilient and sustainable future is critical.

Their unique perspective and relentless drive for change position them as key players in responding to global warming as well as in bridging generational divides, fostering global cooperation and ensuring that climate action is grounded in science and equity.

(Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Stockholm:

A Stockholm court fined climate activist Greta Thunberg on Wednesday for disobeying police orders after blocking access to Sweden’s parliament during a protest.

Police removed Thunberg on March 12 and 14 after she refused to leave the main entrance, where she was protesting with a small group of activists for several days. MPs could still access the building via secondary entrances.

The court said it fined the activist 6,000 Swedish kronor ($551) and ordered her to pay 1,000 kronor in damages and interest.

Thunberg denied the charges of two counts of civil disobedience, according to an AFP journalist at the hearing.

Asked by the judge why she had not obeyed police orders, she replied: “Because there was a (climate) emergency and there still is. And in an emergency, we all have a duty to act.”

“The current laws protect the extractive industries instead of protecting people and the planet, which is what I believe should be the case,” she said as she left the courtroom.

Thunberg has been fined twice before in Sweden, in July and October 2023, for civil disobedience during similar protests.

In February, a London judge dropped charges against her for disturbing the peace during a demonstration against the oil industry in October in the British capital.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Hague:

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained by Dutch police on Saturday after she and a group of marchers blocked a main road in The Hague to protest against fossil fuel subsidies.

Thunberg and other protesters of the Extinction Rebellion environmental group were seen sitting in a waiting bus, while police were continuing to make arrests, an AFP correspondent said.

Thunberg earlier joined several hundred protesters as they walked from the Dutch city centre to a field next to the A12 arterial highway leading out of the city.

The highway was the scene of previous protests by Extinction Rebellion with activists closing it off from traffic before police deployed water guns and made arrests.

But on Saturday dozens of police officers, including some on horseback, blocked the group from entering the highway, warning that “violence could be used” should the marchers try to get onto the road.

Read | Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Dragged By Cops From Blocking Swedish Parliament

Carrying XR flags and placards saying “Stop fuel subsidies now!” and “The planet is dying!”, protesters were then locked in a tense standoff with police who formed a wall of law enforcement.

Some protesters then found another route and blocked a main road close to the highway — which leads from the seaside city of The Hague to the central city of Utrecht.

Thunberg, dressed in a grey top, black trousers and blue shoes, joined the group at the start and was chanting songs with the group as they initially came to an abrupt stop.

“It’s important to demonstrate today because we are living in a state of planetary emergency,” Thunberg told AFP as police blocked marchers.

“We must do everything to avoid that crisis and to save human lives,” she said.

At least one protester was arrested earlier and dragged away to a waiting police van, an AFP correspondent saw.

Read | COP28 Climate Deal “Stab In The Back For Most Vulnerable”: Activist Greta Thunberg

Asked whether she was concerned about police action and arrest, Thunberg said: “Why should I be?”

Activists said that despite majority backing by the Dutch parliament as well as broad popular support to slash fossil fuel subsidies, “the plans will not be implemented before 2030, or even 2035”.

“Meanwhile the ecological crisis continues to rage and the country’s outgoing cabinet pretends that we have all the time in the world, while the crisis is now,” XR said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The protest, added XR, was part of a plan to pressure the Dutch government ahead of another planned debate about fossil subsidies in June.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Climate activist Greta Thunberg, third from left, and other protesters blocked the entrance of the Swedish Parliament during a climate protest in Stockholm, Sweden on March 11, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

A group of climate activists including Greta Thunberg on March 11 blocked the entrance to the Swedish parliament, advocating for sweeping reforms to tackle climate disasters.

Some 40 activists held signs reading ”Climate Justice Now” as they sat in front of at least two entrances to the 349-seat Riksdagen, including the main doorway. Swedish media said lawmakers used other entries into the assembly.

“The climate justice movement has, for decades, been repeating the same message over and over again, like a broken record, and we feel like we are not being heard,” Ms. Thunberg told AP.

Climate protesters have accused fossil fuel companies of deliberately slowing the global energy transition to renewables in order to make more profit.

Ms. Thunberg, 21, has inspired a global youth movement demanding stronger efforts to fight climate change after staging weekly protests outside the Swedish parliament starting in 2018.

She repeatedly has been fined in Sweden and the U.K. for disobedience to law enforcement in connection with protests. Earlier this year she was acquitted of a charge of refusing to follow a police order to leave a protest blocking the entrance to a major oil and gas industry conference in London. The judge cited “significant deficiencies in the evidence.”

New Delhi:

Climate activist Greta Thunberg’s support for Gaza has drawn a sharp response from Israel. On Friday, Greta posted a picture on X, formerly Twitter, in which four activists, including herself, held placards expressing solidarity with Palestine and Gaza.

Reacting to Ms Thunberg’s post, Israel, through its official X handle, took a dig at the climate activist saying that Hamas doesn’t use sustainable materials for their rockets, “which have butchered innocent Israelis”.

“The victims of the Hamas massacre could have been your friends. Speak up,” the post added

Israel also used pictures of three 19-year-old Israelis, who were killed allegedly in a Hamas attack.

.@GretaThunberg, Hamas doesn’t use sustainable materials for their rockets which have BUTCHERED innocent Israelis .

The victims of the Hamas massacre could have been your friends.

Speak up. https://t.co/giHNJxeF6Npic.twitter.com/Z4orsm2UjD

— Israel ישראל ???????? (@Israel) October 20, 2023

The response came after Ms Thunberg, in her post, was seen with a placard that read, “Stand with Gaza.”

Another activist called for a “Free Palestine,” while two other women held placards with messages, “This Jew supports Palestine” and “Climate justice now!”

“Week 270. Today we strike in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza. The world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected,” Greta Thunberg wrote in the caption.

Week 270. Today we strike in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza. The world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected.#FreePalestine#IStandWithPalestine#StandWithGaza#FridaysForFuture
Thread???? pic.twitter.com/0hVtya0yWO

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 20, 2023

Some users, however, came to Ms Thunberg’s defense. They pointed out that her expression of support was for Gaza, not necessarily for Hamas. One user wrote, “Your subconscious and true ideals leaked. She said Gaza, not Hamas. This says a lot. good luck editing this next.”

your subconscious and true ideals leaked. she said gaza, not hamas. this says a lot. good luck editing this next.

— ashen ???? (@notashenone) October 20, 2023

Another person accused Israel of “playing the victim card.” 

Stop playing the victim card

— — GEROMAN — time will tell – ???? — (@GeromanAT) October 21, 2023

A user accused Israel of similar actions and brought up concerns about the environmental sustainability of the air and watercraft used by the IDF in the context of restricting movement and impacting Palestinians in the region. “The air and watercrafts used by the IDF to restrict movement and BUTCHER innocent Palestinians in the largest open-air prison for 75 years aren’t made of sustainable materials,” read the comment.

Ms Thunberg’s statement came 270 weeks after she initiated her Friday school strike, which later ignited the global school strikes movement.

Oh I can do this too.

The air and watercrafts used by the IDF to restrict movement and BUTCHER innocent Palestinians in the largest open air prison for 75 years aren’t made of sustainable materials.

— Talia Jane ‍???? (@taliaotg) October 20, 2023

The United Nations revealed that in just 10 days, around 4,200 people have lost their lives and more than a million people have been forced to leave their homes due to the Israel-Hamas war.

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has been charged with a public order offence after a climate protest in central London, CNN reported. The 20-year-old was one of 26 people charged after protesters gathered outside the luxury InterContinental Hotel during the Energy Intelligence Forum. The protesters chanted ”oily money out” and sought to block access to the hotel on Tuesday.

As per Metropolitan Police, Ms Thunberg is accused of breaching a Section 14 order that police put in place outside the InterContinental Hotel on Park Lane, where oil executives were meeting on Tuesday.

”The protestors were asked to move from the road onto the pavement, which would enable them to continue with their demonstration without breaching the conditions,” a statement by Metropolitan Police said. 

Video footage of the incident showed Ms Thunberg, wearing a badge with the slogan ‘Oily Money Out’ standing calmly as two police officers spoke to her. One was seen holding her arm.

Ms Thunberg said at the demonstration, “Behind these closed doors at the Oil and Money conference, spineless politicians are making deals and compromises with lobbyists from destructive industries – the fossil fuel industry. People all over the world are suffering and dying from the consequences of the climate crisis caused by these industries who we allowed to meet with our politicians and have privileged access to.”

NEW: Greta Thunberg has just been detained protesting a Big Oil conference in London.

This was her powerful message to the fossil fuel industry before she was detained.@fossilfreeLDN#OilyMoneyOutpic.twitter.com/wZAfvAvE7e

— Greenpeace UK (@GreenpeaceUK) October 17, 2023

Ms Thunberg was detained and taken to a police station before being released overnight, police said. She has been released on bail with a trial set for November 15. The other protesters facing charges were also allowed bail.

Greta Thunberg, who became the face of young climate activists worldwide after staging weekly protests in front of the Swedish parliament in 2018, has this year been detained by police or removed from protests in Sweden, Norway, and Germany.