Greta Thunberg took part in the climate strike in Turin. Disappointed by COP25 in Madrid, the activist hopes that 2020 will be the year of action.
"In less than three weeks we enter a new decade, a decade that will define our future." With these words, Greta Thunberg launched her appeal from the stage in Piazza Castello in Turin, set up for the customary climate strike organised by Fridays for Future activists. Greta, named Person of the Year by Time, had announced her participation via social media two days earlier, explaining that Turin was on her way home to Sweden.
Alongside the Swedish activist, the stage was shared by Fridays for Future Turin activists, who thanked the city of Turin for choosing to declare a climate emergency. The Piedmont Region, whose headquarters stood right behind the crowd, was the subject of criticism instead. "A boy who is born and grows up in Piedmont lives on average two months less than a peer from another Italian region due to pollution and the climate crisis," the Fff activists chanted from the stage. "And yet our region continues to deny reality." The full speech follows below.
"I remember that a few months ago I saw the photos of the Turin climate strike, with a sea of people filling the streets, and hope washed over me. Millions of people saw those photos and they were filled with hope too.
So thank you, Turin.
COP25, which is taking place in Madrid, is drawing to a close. And unfortunately we know the results. Governments want to run away from their responsibilities. But we must prevent that from happening. We must back them into a corner and make them do what they must: protect our future.
Yesterday many activists were expelled from COP25; today we are striking all over the world to express our solidarity with them.
Regardless of the outcome [of COP25, ed.], we must press on. We cannot give up. There is no alternative, we must press on.
It is not right that older generations leave the responsibilities of this crisis to young people who did not cause it. It is not right that we are the ones who have to do all of this.
Adults are behaving as though there is no tomorrow, but there is a tomorrow.
We must fight for that tomorrow as if all of life depended on it, because it does. In less than three weeks we enter a new decade, a decade for which there are no words to explain how important it is. It will define our future, a decade in which we will choose whether to act or not to act, the future in which our children and grandchildren will live.
2019 is drawing to a close – we must make 2020 the year of action, of falling emissions. We must make it so, and if we stay united we can do it.
It is we, the people, who can make a difference. We will put pressure on those in power so that they take their responsibilities."