Climate activist Greta Thunberg uses her prize money from the Alternative Nobel Prize to set up her new foundation. The one million Swedish kronor (around 94,500 euros) enables Thunberg to establish the Greta Thunberg & Beata Ernman Foundation, announced the Right Livelihood Foundation yesterday, which annually awards the alternative Nobel Prizes. She honored Thunberg in Stockholm last year for her work against the climate crisis.
The use of the prize money for the foundation was confirmed to the dpa from the environment of the climate activist. According to dpa information, the funds were initially used as start-up capital for the foundation and will later be donated to charitable purposes in accordance with the foundation’s goals as soon as the foundation is fully functional.
Mental health is also an issue
At the end of January, 17-year-old Thunberg had announced via Instagram that she and her family had founded a foundation that should gradually get going. The non-profit foundation was necessary to deal with book royalties, donations and prize money in a completely transparent manner.
The foundation, named after her and her sister Beata Ernman and based in Stockholm, will work for ecological, climatic and social sustainability as well as mental health, according to Thunberg.
The Right Livelihood Awards, given since 1980, are generally referred to as alternative Nobel Prizes, but are at a critical distance from the traditional Nobel Prizes. The prize money associated with the awards is generally intended for the work of the award winners.
„We are convinced that Thunberg’s new foundation will do great things and promote the much-needed change,“ said Right Livelihood Director Ole von Uexküll. The activist already presented her idea from the foundation to Right Livelihood at the end of 2019.
