52 Greta Thunberg Quotes To Remind You That No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference

Anusuya Mukherjee
Dec 12, 2023 By Anusuya Mukherjee
Originally Published on Feb 13, 2021
The child activists are on the streets and want you to act now
Age: 0-99
Read time: 8.7 Min

Greta Thunberg is a 17- year old climate change activist who grew up in Stockholm, Sweden.

She is the descendent of Svante Arrhenius of the Greenhouse effect fame. Greta has Asperger's Syndrome.

When she was 15, she started the climate strike to force the politicians to take preventive action as entire ecosystems are collapsing. She noted the enormous amounts of money were being spent on eternal economic growth, without actually focusing on the environment. Her climate strikes made waves in the media and influenced a lot of people to take a stand. She is also known for the 'Our house is on fire' speech that she delivered at the World Economic Forum. Here are climate activist Greta Thunberg quotes, for more, check out wood quotes and women supporting women quotes.

Greta Thunberg Quotes About The Environment

Feel every day, the power of the environment around you. Make a difference, inspired by Greta Thunberg quotes on the environment, including the Greta Thunberg quotes before the congress and those at a climate summit.

Children like Greta Thunberg want you to act

1. “I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet, you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you?”

- Greta Thunberg, UN Climate Change Summit New York, September 2019.

2. “This is the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced.”

- Greta Thunberg, R20 Austrian World Summit, Vienna, May 2019.

3. "We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis. And if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, then maybe we should change the system itself.”

- Greta Thunberg.

4. “The climate crisis has already been solved. We already have all the facts and solutions. All we have to do is to wake up and change.”

- Greta Thunberg, TEDx Stockholm, December 2018.

5. “I’m sure the moment we start behaving as if we were in an emergency, we can avoid climate and ecological catastrophe.”

- Greta Thunberg, Houses of Parliament, UK, April 2019.

6. “For way too long, the politicians and the people in power have gotten away with not doing anything to fight the climate crisis, but we will make sure that they will not get away with it any longer.”

- Greta Thunberg, Extinction Rebellion London, UK, April 2019.

7. “You must take action. You must do the impossible. Because giving up is never an option.”

- Congress, September 2019.

8. “I have a dream that the people in power, as well as the media, start treating this crisis like the existential emergency it is.”

- Greta Thunberg.

9. “To all of you who choose to look the other way every day because you seem more frightened of the changes that can prevent catastrophic climate change than the catastrophic climate change itself. Your silence is worst of all.”

- Greta Thunberg.

10. “Without that sense of urgency, how can we, the people, understand that we are facing a real crisis.”

- Greta Thunberg, COP25 Madrid, December 2019.

Inspiring Quotes From Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg quotes about hope and other best Greta Thunberg quotes to inspire you. She wants you to act to reverse climate change.

Inspire yourself with Greta's words

11. "We need to get angry and understand what is at stake. And then we need to transform that anger into action and to stand together united and just never give up."

- Greta Thunberg.

12. "We deserve a safe future. And we demand a safe future. Is that really too much to ask?"

- Greta Thunberg.

13. "It is still not too late to act”

- Greta Thunberg.

14. “In other words, it will take cathedral thinking. I ask you to please wake up and make changes required possible.”

- Greta Thunberg.

15. "We children are doing this to wake the adults up. We children are doing this for you to put your differences aside and start acting as you would in a crisis. We children are doing this because we want our hopes and dreams back."

- Greta Thunberg.

16. “Sometimes we just simply have to find a way.”

- Greta Thunberg.

17. “You say you love your children above all else and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes.”

- Greta Thunberg, COP24, Poland, December 2018.

18. “Why should I be studying for a future that soon may be no more, when no one is doing anything to save that future?”

- Greta Thunberg, COP24, Poland, December 2018.

19. “Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming whether you like it or not.”

- Greta Thunberg.

20. “Since our leaders are behaving like children, we will have to take the responsibility they should have taken long ago.”

- Greta Thunberg, COP24, Poland, December 2018.

21. “I often talk to people who say, ‘No, we have to be hopeful and to inspire each other, and we can’t tell [people] too many negative things’ . . . But, no — we have to tell it like it is.”

- Greta Thunberg.

22. “Together and united, we are unstoppable.”

- Greta Thunberg.

23. “When haters go after your looks and differences, it means they have nowhere left to go. And then you know you’re winning!”

- Greta Thunberg.

24. “Our school strike has nothing to do with party politics. Because the climate and the biosphere don’t care about our politics and our empty words for a single second.”

- Greta Thunberg.

25. “Without pressure from the people, our leaders can basically get away with not doing anything.”

- Greta Thunberg, COP25 Madrid, December 2019.

Incredible Quotes From Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg quotes about her dreams and stolen childhood, include Greta Thunberg quotes before congress. The United Nations have acknowledged her essential contributions towards the climate action summit, and climate strikes around the world.

26. “We must start today. We have no more excuses."

- Greta Thunberg, Houses of Parliament, UK, April 2019.

27. “It will take a far-reaching vision, it will take courage, it will take fierce, fierce determination to act now, to lay the foundations where we may not know all the details about how to shape the ceiling.”

- Greta Thunberg.

28. “Everything needs to change – and it has to start today.”

- Greta Thunberg, TEDx Stockholm, December 2018.

29. “Humans are very adaptable: we can still fix this.”

- Greta Thunberg, Houses of Parliament, UK, April 2019.

30. “I don’t really like being in the center of attention. I’m not used to that. All my life I have been like the invisible girl at the back that no one sees or listens to.”

- Greta Thunberg.

31. “What is the point of learning facts when the most important facts clearly mean nothing to our society?”

- Greta Thunberg.

32. “We are striking because we have done our homework and they have not.”

- Greta Thunberg.

33. “I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic.”

- Greta Thunberg, World Economic Forum, Davos, January 2019.

34. “We will never stop fighting for this planet.”

- Greta Thunberg.

35. “You must not gamble your children’s future on the flip of a coin.”

- Greta Thunberg, US Congress, Washington DC, September 2019.

36. “People in power have got away with not doing anything.”

- Greta Thunberg.

37. “We can change and people are ready for change.”

- Greta Thunberg, COP25 Madrid, December 2019.

38. “There is hope – I’ve seen it – but it does not come from the governments or corporations, it comes from the people.”

- Greta Thunberg, COP25 Madrid, December 2019.

Greta Thunberg Best Quotes

People say that she doesn't understand how the real world works. But her climate strike and her various speeches at the climate action summit were enough to motivate a small number of people, very important people, to take measures. Greta assured us that a change is coming around the world, thanks to these climate summit quotes.

39. “If there are no positive things to tell, then what should we do, should we spread false hope? We can’t do that, we have to tell the truth.”

- Greta Thunberg, TEDx Stockholm, December 2018.

40. "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. Yet, I am one of the lucky ones. People are suffering."

- Greta Thunberg, UN Climate Change Summit New York, September 2019.

41. “Humanity is now standing at a crossroads. We must now decide which path we want to take. How do we want the future living conditions for all living species to be like?"

- Greta Thunberg, Extinction Rebellion London, UK, April 2019.

42. “I think it is insane that people are gathered here to talk about the climate, and they arrive here in private jets.”

- Greta Thunberg, World Economic Forum, Davos, January 2019.

43. “Some decision-makers in particular, have known exactly what priceless values they have been sacrificing to continue making unimaginable amounts of money.”

- Greta Thunberg, World Economic Forum, Davos, January 2019.

44.  “This ongoing irresponsible behavior will no doubt be remembered in history as one of the greatest failures of humankind.”

- Greta Thunberg, Houses of Parliament, UK, April 2019.

45. “Political leaders have wasted decades through denial and inaction”

- Greta Thunberg, European Parliament, Brussels, April 2019.

46. “You must take action. You must do the impossible. Because giving up can never ever be an option.”

- Greta Thunberg.

47. “I’m just going to do what I want to do and what will have the most impact.”

- Greta Thunberg.

48. “You must unite behind the science.”

- Greta Thunberg.

49. “And the next second, they want to expand airports, build new coal power plants and motorways.”

- Greta Thunberg, R20 Austrian World Summit, Vienna, May 2019.

50. “Humanity is now standing at a crossroads”.

- Greta Thunberg.

51. "Our House is on fire and you are fuelling the flames."

- Greta Thunberg.

52. "Many of you appear concerned that we are wasting valuable lesson time, but I assure you we will go back to school the moment you start listening to science and give us a future."

- Greta Thunberg, Houses of Parliament, UK, April 2019.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Greta Thunberg quotes then why not take a look at tranquility quotes, or tree of life quotes.

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Written by Anusuya Mukherjee

Bachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights

Anusuya Mukherjee picture

Anusuya MukherjeeBachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights

With a wealth of international experience spanning Europe, Africa, North America, and the Middle East, Anusuya brings a unique perspective to her work as a Content Assistant and Content Updating Coordinator. She holds a law degree from India and has practiced law in India and Kuwait. Anusuya is a fan of rap music and enjoys a good cup of coffee in her free time. Currently, she is working on her novel, "Mr. Ivory Merchant".

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