South China Morning Post
Advertisement
Advertisement
Climate change
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
Greta Thunberg, centre, stands with other young activists at COP25, the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference, in Madrid on December 9. Photo: AP
OpinionLetters

Letters | Greta Thunberg is a force of nature who can change the face of the world

  • Thunberg embodies the huge moral authority of the youth activist movement that no world leader can ignore, and this will fundamentally change the decision-making process in climate-change lobbying
Climate change
Letters
Letters
Why you can trust SCMP

When Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg was named Time magazine’s 2019 Person of the Year, a huge wave of disappointment swept across social media platforms in Hong Kong, as she had edged out another nominee – “Hong Kong protesters”.

Some congratulated the young climate activist but many more asked: what has she achieved, and does she deserve the honour?

The answer is a resounding “yes”. Thunberg inspired millions of youth to stand against climate change and her activism is an innovative breakthrough for the current global environmental movement.

For decades, science has been clear about the environmental problems we are facing and what we should do, but the international community’s responses and actions have been too little and too slow. Climate change politics is a complex game, and some influential corporations have reportedly invested big money to produce favourable science data that aligns with their needs.

At the same time, science often makes way for international politics and stakeholders’ interests, which is then covered up by “clever accounting and creative PR”, as Thunberg put it at COP25 in Madrid.

Thunberg has made a difference. Her direct and powerful messages have spoken to the heart of millions of young people, empowering them to develop a more visceral understanding of global environmental problems and possible solutions.

Since her appearance on the world stage, climate change is being recognised as a crisis that we should, and can, solve together. Denialism is now discredited and fading away.

What is more, she embodies the huge moral authority of the youth activist movement that no world leader can ignore, and this will fundamentally change the decision-making process in climate-change lobbying.

However, to sustain this global movement, certain critical challenges and opportunities should be identified.

First, a stronger collective voice is needed in 2020, a year when a new global biodiversity framework and targets, the plans of nations to support the Paris agreement, and a renewed commitment to the environment under the Sustainable Development Goals, will be negotiated. The movement must continue to influence these meetings to reverse the trend of biodiversity loss by 2030.

Second, develop local asks. To tackle global environmental problems, every society needs to come up with environmental demands that align with global goals. People are generally more interested in issues around them and this is a good way to train up local leaders as well. Demanding a protected area for Chinese white dolphins and a more rigorous renewable energy target may be a good start for Hong Kong.

Third, build a “green economy zone”. If millions of climate strikers only buy eco-friendly products, it will significantly change market behaviour. A name-and-shame movement may be one way to do this. In the long run, a credible certificate system like the Marine Stewardship Council should be set up in different sectors to help consumers distinguish genuine sustainability from “greenwashing”.

Jon Wong, postgraduate student, Environmental Science and Management, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Post