A Kiwi teenager hopes her passionate speech to the Earth Summit in Brazil will provide inspiration for change.
Brittany Trilford told Close Up tonight that people have become pessimistic about the summit and that has made world leaders less inclined to act.
The 17-year-old delivered a moving three minute speech at the start of the three day summit which is often criticised for failing to establish clear green goals in its nearly 20 year history.
The Queen Margaret College student beat entries from young people around the world to win the right to speak at the "Rio+20" through the Date With History youth video speech contest.
She spoke in front of the world's leaders at the United Nations conference on sustainable development in Brazil, urging the likes of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russia's Vladimir Putin to work toward creating a sustainable future for future generations.
"I want a future where education encourages innovative thinking," said Tilford.
"I want a future where we run with natural processes, and not against them. I want a future where leaders will stop talking and start acting. I want a future where leaders lead," said Trilford.
She bravely gave the leaders an ultimatum and urged them to remind leaders of promises made at the first Rio Summit in 1992.
"They made great promises, promises that when I read them still leave me feeling hopeful."
She said the leaders have 72 hours to decide the fate of "their children, my children, my children's children, and I start the clock now".
Tilford told Close Up youth need to use the tools and technologies available to them now.
We need to use our inspiration and passion to ensure these world leaders do more than talk, she said.