Communiqué
Travel with the world’s best-known climate activist “GRETA THUNBERG: A YEAR TO CHANGE THE WORLD ” – Feb. 2, 10 pm
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Part One: February 2 at 10 pm
Part Two: February 9 at 10 pm
Part Three: February 16 at 10 pm
PBS, in partnership with BBC Studios’ Science Unit, announces a three-part documentary series following teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg as she seeks to raise awareness of the accelerating climate change. GRETA THUNBERG: A YEAR TO CHANGE THE WORLD airs over three consecutive Wednesdays in February.
Greta Thunberg is on a mission to save the world. She is asking every one of us to act and to mobilize in order to slow down the growing climate change that is destroying our planet and threatens our way of life. The message is clear, and scientists agree—we need to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees in order to give our species the best possible chance of avoiding a catastrophic future.
This revealing series follows Greta as she steps from behind the podium and onto the front lines. Over the course of the three episodes, Greta explores the science as she travels to extraordinary locations across the globe, meeting leading climate scientists, witnessing first hand the consequences of climate change and confronting the complexity of what is required to make change happen. She travels from the burning tar sands of the Canadian oil industry to the coal mines of Europe and the melting glaciers of the U.S.—places where the impact of a changing climate is glaringly obvious, both for the planet and for the inevitable human costs—making clear the reasons why scientists call for action to be taken. The series also hears from a range of academics, economists and experts, further exploring the climate change science Greta encounters on the ground.
In the fall of 2019, then-16-year-old Greta took a year off from school to embark on an international mission to spread her message: that we must act to drastically reduce our carbon emissions—immediately. The world was transfixed as this teenager spoke with directness and clarity to power, from diplomats at the United Nations to the world’s economic elite at Davos. However, just as her journey was gaining serious momentum, a new threat emerged, and everything became uncertain. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a terrifying standstill when the global economy, modern society and Greta’s journey all came to a halt. However, as days turned to months and people around the world were confined to their homes, an unintended consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the ongoing global shutdown, revealing how much we can lessen our impact on the planet if we radically change our behavior.
“Through Greta’s exploration of the science, we get a deeper understanding of the problems of climate change and the complexity of resolving them,” said Bill Gardner, Vice President, Programming and Development, PBS. “This is also a very personal, intimate and moving story about an incredibly brave person who has found herself in the global spotlight and navigates the challenges of unsought fame. PBS is proud to bring this powerful story to our viewers of all ages.”
GRETA THUNBERG: A YEAR TO CHANGE THE WORLD is a BBC Studios Science Unit production in association with B-Reel Films and co-produced with the BBC for PBS. Rob Liddell and Helen Thomas are executive producers. Executive in charge for PBS is Bill Gardner.