Speaking on Swedish radio Sveriges, Thunberg said that from a climatic point of view, the coronavirus crisis was not positive, because the changes in daily life had "extremely little similarity" to the extreme measures required to fight climate change.
"The corona tragedy has of course no long-term positive effect on the climate, except for one thing, which is how you should perceive and deal with an emergency," she said. "Because during the corona crisis, we suddenly act with the necessary force."
The pandemic has pushed people around the world to action, said Thunberg.
"All parts of society come together and politicians put aside their different points of view and cooperate for the greater good of all," she said.
Those in positions of power in politics, business and finance said "they will do whatever is necessary" because "you cannot put a price on human life" during the pandemic, said Thunberg .
But when millions of people died from air pollution, she said, those lives "we can put a price".
"These words and this handling of a crisis open up a whole new dimension because you see at least 7 million people die each year from air pollution-related illnesses," said Thunberg, citing the World Health Organization. health.
"These are apparently people whose lives we can assess," she added. "Since they died from bad causes and in the wrong parts of the world."
Although she had what she called mild symptoms, Thunberg published an article on her experience on social media to raise public awareness of the virus.
Last month at CNN Coronavirus City Hall, Thunberg said the pandemic has forced people "to realize that we are in fact dependent on science and that we need to listen to scientists and experts."
