Greta Thunberg will come to Iowa City on Friday to strike with student climate protesters, the global activist announced Wednesday on Twitter. It was Thunberg who inspired an Iowa City middle school student to begin to start the local climate strikes in the spring of 2016.

"Greta coming to Iowa City means that people have paid attention to our climate strikes and we have been heard," wrote Massimo Biggers in an email during class. "In the spring, especially, and even now, we often feel like our political and educational leaders are not stepping up and acting with the urgency required by our climate emergency.

"We are honored and inspired and emboldened by Greta’s campaign, and we hope her visit brings together our town and the university to join together for a real climate plan, end coal at the power plant, and put Iowa City in the forefront for climate emergency action in the nation."

In the early stages, support for the local Iowa City movement waxed and waned. Some days, it was just Biggers, a student at South East Junior High, posted up at the Iowa City Community School District central offices on Fridays. Other days, the weekly protest was aided by local icons like football-star-turned-solar panel-entrepreneur Tim Dwight. Over the months, the Climate Strikers held protests in Iowa City Hall and on the University of Iowa's campus.

In September, hundreds of local students showed out for the Global Climate Strike. Joined by community members and groups such as the 100 Grannies, the Sunrise Movement, the Sierra Club and Young Democratic Socialists of America, they began their march at City Hall.

"This is the biggest, most enthusiastic turnout I've seen in front of City Hall in my years here," Iowa City Mayor Jim Throgmorton remarked at the time.

The Climate Strikers demanded a "Town-Gown Climate Accord," or an agreement between the University of Iowa and the city to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2030 and the immediate end of coal burning at the university's power plant.

Just last week, climate activists set up at the UI Coal Plant and addressed an open letter to UI president Bruce Harreld, arguing that the UI's sustainability targets are obsolete.

Activists argue that the UI Power Plant relies on coal and natural gas at the expense of the community.

"The fuel mix at the UI power plant, ultimately, is a reckless and shameful embarrassment for our city," reads the letter, later adding, "If the UI can rally the community to raise $98 million to renovate football stadium seats, then it can commit to pursuing climate action on your campus."

The young protestors' impacts can be seen across local governmental agencies. The local school board has pledged to reduce the district's carbon footprint in a resolution, though the resolution does not include the specific reduction targets. The Iowa City Council voted Tuesday night to put the Climate Action Commission back together again. The commission is charged with assisting the city in implementing the newly updated Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

At the Climate Strikers' behest, Iowa City Council updated the city's carbon dioxide reduction goals to 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. These standards were based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that aims to limit global warming to 1.6 degrees Celsius.

Thunberg is coming to Iowa City after addressing the U.N.'s Climate Action Summit in New York City on Monday. The 16-year-old Swede used the platform to condemn world leaders.

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she told the U.N. assembly.