London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Aug 28, 2025

‘Vanity project’: University of Winchester unveils £24,000 statue of Greta Thunberg amid storm of criticism

‘Vanity project’: University of Winchester unveils £24,000 statue of Greta Thunberg amid storm of criticism

The University of Winchester has unveiled a statue of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The project invoked a storm of criticism, with students of the austerity-enduring university fuming over the questionable use of funds.

The bronze statue of Thunberg was unveiled at the university’s West Downs Campus on Tuesday. The monument, which is basically a life-size figure of the teen climate activist, is dubbed ‘Make a Difference’ and is supposed to show the university’s “ongoing commitment to sustainability and social justice.”


The statue has received, at best, a very cold welcome from students, with the Winchester chapter of the University and College Union (UCU) branding it a “vanity project” days before the unveiling. The sizeable sum of money to fund it – nearly £24,000 – “should have been better used by preventing redundancies and other cuts,” the union argued.


The union stressed that it had no issue “with the statue being of Greta,” highlighting its own efforts in organizing on-campus climate change protests. It harshly criticized the university’s decision-making process, arguing that the decision to erect any statue should have been publicly debated rather than made during closed-door meetings.

The University of Winchester tried to address the raised issues as it announced the unveiling of the statue, explaining it was commissioned back in 2019 and funded with money allocated to develop the campus, which cannot be used elsewhere.

The explanation, however, did not satisfy the critics, who argued the pricey monument was an insult to students struggling amid the pandemic. The university’s opaque approach to decision-making was in the crosshairs as well.



Climate change-minded critics mocked how the university chose to support the Swedish activist, pointing out that spending that much money and casting a bronze figure was not exactly eco-friendly. Thunberg herself, however, has not commented on her statue so far.



Some critics took a somewhat more personal approach, questioning what exactly Thunberg achieved to earn a monument at just 18 years old. The location raised a few eyebrows, too, with many highlighting the fact that the activist had exactly zero links to the university.



The statue also invoked criticism aimed at climate change activism in general, with the movement being mocked for being a “cult” for its “worship” of the teen.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
×