5. Children around the world
“I saw Greta Thunberg speak at COP24. Her example showed me what I had to do," says Alexandria Villasenor, then 13, to a group of young people protesting in favour of climate action outside the United Nations in March 2019.
On Fridays, throughout the winter, Alexandria took a cue from Thunberg and sat on a bench in New York to protest the lack of action on the environment.
"I saw Greta Thunberg speak at COP24.
Her example showed me what I had to do."
The marchers also demanded that leaders take to heart the landmark October 2018 report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimating the planet was only 12 years away from catastrophe unless “far-reaching and unprecedented changes” are taken.
In the past year, thousands of young people across Australia and around the world have taken to the streets to protest about what is important to them and what they feel is being ignored by the world’s leaders.
Children have the right to have an opinion and expect to be heard.