Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg's campaign 'Fridays for Future' became a global youth initiative for the need to address climate change in public policies.Twitter/Greta Thunberg

Swedish teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg was awarded the prestigious Ambassador of Conscience Award by the international human rights body, Amnesty International.

The 16-year old was awarded on Friday for her role in raising global action on climate change through her 'Fridays for Future' campaign in which schoolchildren have called for strikes from schools on Fridays to participate in climate change protests.

On receiving the award, Thunberg said that it was a "huge honour" and that the award is not her own but belonged to everyone who believed in striking every Friday because of climate concerns.

“This is not my award, this is everyone's award. It is amazing to see the recognition we are getting and know that we are fighting for something that is having an impact.”
- Greta Thunberg

According to the secretary-general of Amnesty International, Kumi Naidoo, the movement had humbled and inspired the organisation by the determination of youth activism for raising awareness for climate change.

"Every young person taking part in 'Fridays for Future' embodies what it means to act on your conscience. They remind us that we are more powerful than we know and that we all have a role to play in protecting human rights against climate catastrophe," she said in an official statement released by the organisation. 

The movement that has mobilised more than 1 million people around the world started in August 2018 when Thunberg decided to miss her schools on Fridays to protest for Swedish authorities so that they take serious measures and address climate change issues.

Since then, her efforts became internationally acclaimed with its recent global demonstration of Fridays for Future day held on May 24 that drew large-scale participation from 100 countries including Australia, Brazil, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, the Philippines and Uganda.

Previous awardees include Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Harry Belafonte, Ai Weiwei, the Youth Groups of West and Central Africa, Angélique Kidjo, the Indigenous rights movement in Canada, Alicia Keys and Colin Kaepernick.