Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has urged US lawmakers to "listen to the scientists" and take action on climate change as she testified before Congress.
"I have not come to offer prepared remarks," the 16-year-old said, adding that she was instead submitting a landmark UN climate report released last October that warned of the catastrophic effects of global heating.
"I don't want you to listen to me. I want you to listen to the scientists. And I want you to unite behind the science. And then I want you to take real action," she said on Wednesday.
Greta, who was on Monday presented with Amnesty International's top human rights award, told members of Congress she was "furious" when she first learned of the climate crisis.
She appeared before the joint House of Representatives committee alongside other young climate activists.
Massachusetts Democrat Bill Keating told them "we wouldn't be in this situation right now" if everyone was already "doing their part".
"Our generation has failed to adequately address our climate crisis," he admitted.
Greta was at the US Capitol ahead of a global climate strike on Friday.
Her weekly protest outside the Swedish parliament, which she began in August 2018, has inspired protests in cities across the globe.
The teenager is set to participate in the UN's youth climate forum on Saturday, as well as address world leaders at the UN secretary general's climate summit on 23 September.
