German school protests will focus on transport emissions on global strike day in March

Tens of thousands of teenagers across Europe have skipped school since the beginning of the year, joining protests demanding action on climate change, Luisa Beck reports in the Washington Post. In January, more than 10,000 students skipped school in Germany alone, Beck reports, and the student walk-outs have at times rivalled the size of France’s Yellow Vest protests. The demonstrations were inspired by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who began skipping school on Fridays last August to protest inaction on climate change. Thunberg became a star of the UN climate talks in December.

Protesters are organising a global strike for March 15, with students expected to take part in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Britain, Australia and the United States. In Germany, protesters will focus on putting pressure on the transportation sector, where emissions have remained roughly unchanged for decades.