Teen activist to travel to climate events in U.S., Chile — by yacht

July 29 (UPI) — A Swedish teenager has announced she will travel to climate change conferences in North and South America later this year — by sailboat, to keep from adding to carbon emissions to the atmosphere.

Activist Greta Thunberg, 16, said she’s planning for events in the United States in September and Chile in December. Thunberg gained global attention for a protest last year that launched the Fridays for Future student movement. She also inspired the Global Climate Strike, which has been held twice since last year.

“I’ll be joining the U.N. Climate Action Summit in New York, COP25 in Santiago and other events along the way,” Thunberg tweeted Monday. “I’ve been offered a ride on the 60-foot racing boat Malizia II. We’ll be sailing across the Atlantic Ocean from the U.K. to NYC in mid-August.”

The teenager previously said she wanted to attend, but was unsure how to get there, until now.

“It’s on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean,” Thunberg said last month. “Since I don’t fly, because of the enormous climate impact of aviation, it’s going to be a challenge.”

Team Malizia said Monday that it’s happy to give Thunberg a lift.

The Malizia II is owned by Gerhard Senft, a Germany property developer, and sponsored by the Yacht Club de Monaco. The yacht was built in 2016 for the Vendée Globe race.

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