Environmental activist Greta Thunberg furiously attacked world leaders at the United Nations on Monday for not doing more to tackle climate change, berating the assembled delegates and asking: “How dare you?”

Greta, 16, who began the "climate strike" movement encouraging children to miss school to protest on Fridays, also launched legal proceedings against five countries on Monday, arguing that they did not prevent climate change despite being aware of the damage it does.

The Swedish campaigner joined 15 other teenagers from countries including France, India, Germany and the Marshall Islands to file the suit at the UN.

“The petitioners do not seek compensation; no amount of money could compensate for the harm children are and will be suffering from climate change, both now and in the future,” the suit reads.

Instead they want the five countries – Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany and Turkey – to accept their mistakes, and pledge to do better in the future.

The five were chosen for being the biggest polluters of the 45 countries that ratified the third optional protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The UK, USA, China and Australia have not signed.

The suit was filed with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.