Greta Thunberg Receives 1 Million Euros, Donates Entire Sum to Groups Fighting Climate Crisis

Vegan climate activist Greta Thunberg was awarded this year’s Gulbankian Prize for Humanity, an award that recognizes individuals and groups for making an impact in fighting to stop climate change. Thunberg took to Instagram to graciously accept the prize and announce that she would donate the entirety of the €1 million prize money (approximately $1.1 million) to organizations working to halt the climate crisis. 

“We’re in a climate emergency, and my foundation will as quickly as possible donate all the prize money of 1 million Euros to support organizations and projects that are fighting for a sustainable world, defending nature, and supporting people already facing the worst impacts of the climate- and ecological crisis—particularly those living in the Global South.” Thunberg will begin the distribution of the prize by donating €100,000 each to the SOS Amazonia Campaign (an initiative started by the Brazil branch of the youth-led climate group Fridays for Future to fight the COVID-19 outbreak in the Amazon region); and Stop Ecocide Foundation (a global campaign to make ecocide an international crime). 

 

 

 

 

 

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I’m extremely honoured to receive the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity! We’re in a climate emergency, and my foundation will as quickly as possible donate all the prize money of 1 million Euros to support organizations and projects that are fighting for a sustainable world, defending nature and supporting people already facing the worst impacts of the climate- and ecological crisis — particularly those living in the Global South.
 Starting with giving €100.000 to the SOS Amazonia Campaign led by @FridaysForFutureBrasil to tackle COVID-19 in the Amazon, and €100.000 to the Stop Ecocide Foundation (@ecocidelaw ) to support their work to make ecocide an international crime. @fcgulbenkian #facetheclimateemergency

A post shared by Greta Thunberg (@gretathunberg) on Jul 20, 2020 at 3:34am PDT

In 2019, Thunberg was selected for the Environment Prize awarded by the Nordic Council which came with a $54,000 cash prize. The young activist declined the award and called upon world governments to take more action to fight the climate crisis, stating, “… The climate movement does not need any more awards. What we need is for our politicians and the people in power to start to listen to the current, best available science.”