Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate change activist and inspiration behind today’s mass school walkout, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
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The 16-year-old Swede was nominated for the humanitarian award by three Norwegian politicians, who believe her work to engage young people and policy-makers alike on the dangers of climate change constitutes a real push for global peace.
“We have proposed Greta Thunberg because if we do nothing to halt climate change, it will be the cause of wars, conflict and refugees,” Norwegian MP Freddy Andre Ovstegard said.
Thunberg made headlines worldwide last year when a spate of unseasonal forest fires convinced her to protest outside of Sweden’s parliament building.
Her strikes, held daily before Sweden’s national election and on Fridays afterwards, inspired students worldwide to call on their own elected officials to take decisive action to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
Since rising to prominence, Thunberg has spoken at the United Nations Climate Change Conference to share her urgent message with world leaders.
Australia, itself no stranger to forest fires exacerbated by rising temperatures, is one of many nations to have emulated Thunberg’s protests. Her strikes inspired last year’s Strike 4 Climate Action, which saw Aussie students take to the streets around the nation.
Today’s protest, which will be mirrored by young activists around the world, is slated to be even bigger.
Taking to Twitter, Thunberg expressed her gratitude for the nomination.
Honoured and very grateful for this nomination ❤️ https://t.co/axO4CAFXcz
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) March 14, 2019
If she wins the award, Thunberg will become the youngest recipient since Malala Yousafzai, who was just 17 when she became a Nobel Prize laureate in 2014.
