LVMH Owner Bernard Arnault Called Greta Thunberg “Demoralising”

Following her emotional speech at the United Nations earlier this week, 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg continues to be on the receiving end of inconsiderate criticism. Much of this is coming from adult (usually white) businessmen, some of whom even stooped so low as to mock her Asperger's syndrome. The latest unsolicited opinion comes from Bernard Arnault, who happens to be the richest man in Europe and is the owner of luxury brand LVMH, (which owns and operates an impressive suite of brands including Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Benefit Cosmetics and Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, to name a few).

Ironically, Arnault's commentary on Thunberg came while he was speaking to journalists about LVMH's plans to become more "green." While discussing the company's supposed environmentally-friendly initiatives, according to Dazed, Arnault said the following: "We believe that environmental performance is a source of innovation, creativity, excellence and must be considered in all design and manufacture activities. We are committed to accelerating our work in that field and going even further.”

But then he offered his opinion on Thunberg, saying, per Dazed, that “she’s a dynamic young girl, but she’s surrendering completely to catastrophism… I find that her views are demoralising for young people.”

Thunberg, for her part, has been confidently firing back against this barrage of attacks. She posted a series of tweets on Wednesday reading, in part, "Here we go again... As you may have noticed, the haters are as active as ever - going after me, my looks, my clothes, my behaviour and my differences." and "I honestly don’t understand why adults would choose to spend their time mocking and threatening teenagers and children for promoting science." Read the full string of tweets below.

Let's get one thing straight: Thunberg's speech at the U.N. was not demoralising, but it was terrifying—and that is because she is unequivocally correct about the urgency of climate change and the failure of global leaders to acknowledge its immediacy. Read or watch her full speech here.

Teen Vogue has reached out to LVMH for a comment.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue