Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has refused to accept a $75,000 environmental award, saying the climate movement should focus on concrete action rather than "beautiful words" and "bragging".
Thunberg's message rejecting the prize was read out at a ceremony in Stockholm by representatives of the 16-year-old, present at the awards on Tuesday night local time.
The activist, who said it was a "huge honour" to win, said "the climate movement does not need any more awards."
"What we need is for our politicians and the people in power start to listen to the current, best available science," she wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.
Thunberg criticised the policies of the Swedish and Norwegian governments who nominated her for the Nordic Council's annual environmental prize.
"The Nordic countries have a great reputation … [on] environmental issues. There is no lack of bragging about this. There is no lack of beautiful words," she wrote.
"But when it comes to our actual emissions and our ecological footprints per capita … then it's a whole other story."
Thunberg rose to prominence after she started spending her Fridays outside Sweden's parliament in August 2018, holding a sign reading "school strike for climate".
Her activism contributed to September's Global Week for Future, a series of strikes and demonstrations to demand climate action that took place in about 4500 locations in 150 countries, including Australia.
The jury for the Nordic intergovernmental cooperation's prize said they chose the young activist for "breathing new life into the debate surrounding the environment and climate at a critical moment in world history".
"Her influence has become so extensive that there is now talk of a global 'Greta Thunberg effect',” they wrote.
It is unclear if the Nordic Council intends to re-award the prize.
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