London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 08, 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
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
×