Mark Carney has publicly aligned himself with climate activist Greta Thunberg's movement.
"I see myself as part of the social movement," Carney said during an interview with LBC's What Next? podcast at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021.
Carney, who also served as Boris Johnson's finance adviser at the conference, has met with Thunberg several times and credits her with transforming the global climate change movement.
"I've had the pleasure of meeting several times [with Thunberg] and who absolutely has catalyzed that movement, the youth movement," said Carney.
Carney's endorsement carries particular weight given his extensive experience leading both the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada.
Carney explained that Thunberg's ability to take complex climate concepts has revolutionized how the financial sector approaches environmental issues.
Thunberg's emphasis on the rapidly depleting carbon budget has shifted the conversation from broad sustainability goals to specific net-zero emission targets.
Carney particularly praised Thunberg's talent for illuminating what he called "very obvious truths are not fully understood" that often go unrecognized in financial circles.
Carney created the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) to force banks across the globe to finance net zero by 2050 projects only.
GFANZ is currently falling apart as major U.S. banks have backed out. The Royal Bank of Canada and Bank of Montreal are both considering dropping out.
While acknowledging that younger activists might view him as somewhat behind the curve, Carney emphasized Thunberg's crucial role in the youth climate action movement.
However, their relationship has not been without disagreements.
At COP26, Thunberg criticized carbon offset markets as "greenwashing" and Carney supports them.
Despite these disagreements, Carney continues to draw inspiration from Thunberg's messaging, even adopting her famous "blah blah blah" critique to push for more decisive action from financial institutions.
The alliance between Carney and Thunberg shows how Carney would continue the climate change policies of the Trudeau government or become even more radical.
