Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been named TIME magazine's Person the Year for 2019. The 16-year-old Sweden beat New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Hong Kong democracy protestors to win the award. Ms Thunberg shot to fame 2018 raising people's awareness the threat to the planet climate change. She started a global movement when she decided to go a climate strike outside the Swedish parliament in August 2018. Schoolchildren the world then followed her example. She has since addressed the United Nations New York and has met the Pope. After hearing the award, she tweeted: "Wow, this is unbelievable! I will share this great honour."
Greta Thunberg is the youngest person ever to receive the award. TIME magazine wrote about why it gave the prize to Ms Thunberg. It said she has, "succeeded creating a global attitudinal shift" getting millions of people to join a "worldwide movement calling urgent change". It added: "Greta has offered a moral call to those who are willing to act, and put shame those who are not." Not everyone is happy Ms Thunberg receiving the award. Donald Trump Jr said TIME was using a teenager "as a marketing gimmick". contrast, Hillary Clinton tweeted: "I am grateful all she's done to raise awareness the climate crisis, and her willingness to tell hard, motivating truths."
