STOCKHOLM—Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg said Friday she will no longer be able to skip classes as a way to draw attention to climate change because she is graduating from high school. Thunberg, 20, started staging Friday protests outside the Swedish parliament building during school hours in 2018. Teenagers from around the world followed her lead, leading to an international student movement called Fridays for Future.

Because she won't be a student anymore, Thunberg noted that her future Friday activities will "technically" not be school striking. But in a tweet, she vowed to continue protesting, saying, "The fight has only just begun." She wrote on Twitter: "We are still moving in the wrong direction, where those in power are allowed to sacrifice. We're rapidly approaching potential nonlinear ecological and climatic tipping points beyond our control."

From a lone protest to a global movement

Thunberg's journey began in August 2018 when she skipped school for three weeks before the Swedish election to sit outside the Riksdag with a sign reading "Skolstrejk för klimatet" (School strike for climate). Her solitary act resonated globally, sparking a youth-led wave of climate strikes that involved millions of students across more than 150 countries. In March 2019, an estimated 1.6 million young people participated in a worldwide climate strike, making it one of the largest youth protests in history.

Her uncompromising speeches at high-profile venues—including the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York, where she told world leaders "How dare you?"—made her a symbol of youth frustration with inaction. She also addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, the European Parliament, and the U.S. Congress. In 2019, Time magazine named her Person of the Year, the youngest individual ever to receive the honor. She has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize multiple times, though she has not won.

The graduation milestone

For her final school strike outside parliament on June 9, 2023, Thunberg posed with a Swedish-language sign while wearing the traditional white cap that high school graduates typically wear in Sweden. The cap, often embroidered with the year of graduation, is a proud symbol of completing gymnasieskola (upper secondary school). American singer-songwriter and poet Patti Smith, who was in Stockholm for a concert as part of a world tour, showed up at the demonstration. She told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter that she got tears in her eyes when meeting Thunberg. "This is Greta Thunberg, faithfully taking her Friday School Strike for Climate Action. She graduates today, and we extend our gratitude and congratulations," Smith wrote on Instagram.

The moment highlighted the transition from teenage activist to adult advocate. Thunberg's graduation does not mark the end of her activism but rather a shift in tactics. She has long emphasized that climate change is an existential crisis requiring sustained pressure, not just a few years of school strikes. In her tweet, she made clear that the movement would adapt: "The fight has only just begun."

Looking ahead: new strategies

Thunberg has already expanded her activism beyond school strikes. She has participated in legal actions, such as the "Fridays for Future" climate lawsuit in Sweden, and has supported global protests like the September 2023 Climate Week demonstrations. She has also shifted her focus to structural change, advocating for fossil fuel divestment, an end to subsidies for oil and gas, and a rapid transition to renewable energy. She has warned that even with her graduation, the crisis is accelerating. "We are still moving in the wrong direction," she said.

The Fridays for Future movement continues to operate autonomously, with local groups coordinating their own strikes. Thunberg has urged the media to focus on other young activists, particularly from the Global South, who are often on the frontlines of climate impacts. On the same day as her final strike, Fridays for Future participants planned protests outside UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany, to urge governments to do more to curb global warming. The Bonn conference is a preparatory session for the annual COP summit, and activists are demanding concrete actions to phase out coal, oil, and gas.

Criticisms and resilience

Thunberg's direct style and zero-tolerance approach have drawn both praise and criticism. Some accuse her of being alarmist, while others say she oversimplifies complex policy issues. However, she has consistently countered that the science is clear and that politicians are failing to act. She has also faced personal attacks and internet trolling, but she has remained resilient, often using humor and sarcasm in her replies.

Despite the challenges, her influence remains significant. A 2022 survey by the European Investment Bank found that young people across Europe rank climate change as their top concern, and many credit Greta with amplifying their voice. Her graduation marks a new chapter—but the climate movement she helped ignite shows no signs of slowing down.

As she moves forward, Thunberg plans to use her platform to call for systemic change, continue to participate in demonstrations (even if not technically school strikes), and work with scientists and activists to hold power to account. The fight, she insists, has only just begun.

Source: The Asahi Shimbun News