New Zealand company Hell Pizza has targeted environmentalist Greta Thunberg, placing billboards in her hometown of Stockholm, Sweden, telling the iconic eco-activist teen to “go to hell”.
The tongue-in-cheek message by the fast food outlet has been interpreted as more of an invitation to the 18-year-old than a slur. Hell Pizza has been touting its commitment to 100 percent carbon neutral pizza deliveries in New Zealand, writes the New Zealand Herald. The measures include using 330ml glass Coca Cola bottles instead of plastic, renewable energy within stores, sourcing more than 95 percent of food and materials within Aotearoa, and hoping to eventually have an electric fleet of delivery vehicles crisscrossing the country.
According to Hell Pizza CEO Ben Cumming, he hoped that Thunberg and her 5 million Twitter followers would approve of the company’s effort.
“We agree that there's been a lot of blah, blah, blah lately about tackling global warming…That's why the team at Hell Pizza here in New Zealand have been putting more effort into taking action, rather than adding to the global inferno of empty promises,” wrote Hell Pizza in a statement.
It added that it hoped to encourage other businesses to similarly embark upon a “sustainable journey now, not in the year 20 whatever”. The company statement also said they had tried to secure a similar large billboard in Thunberg's hometown of Stockholm, "but the joke was missed" and the advertisement was rejected as too “offensive”.
Thunberg has not yet publicly responded to the invitation from the food outlet. However, netozens were quick to offer they opinions. Some slammed it as an “embarrassing publicity stunt”.
Others on social media commended the company for its efforts to “go green”.
Others on Twitter weighed in on the ecowarrior who they believed has “built a career criticising people, companies, and countries in public”.
This comes as last month Greta Thunberg aimed a broadside at New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, saying the country and its leaders have failed to do anything to tackle the climate crisis.
The Guardian asked the teen in an interview if Ardern, who recently underscored that the climate crisis was a matter of "life or death", could be applauded for her efforts. Thunberg said it was "funny" that "people believe Jacinda Ardern and people like that are climate leaders". Earlier still, Thunberg singled out New Zealand as "one of the world's worst performers on emission increases".