Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish activist and climate action advocate who sparked an international movement, has been nominated for 2019’s Nobel Peace Prize.
If Thunberg wins the award, she’ll be the youngest ever recipient. The next in age to win was Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for female education, when she was 17.
The activist was nominated by three MPs from Norway. “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 Socialist MP Freddy Andre Ovstegard told AFP. “Greta Thunberg has launched a mass movement which I see as a major contribution to peace.”
Thunberg tweeted to say she was “honoured and very grateful for this nomination”.
The 16-year-old first rose to prominence when she staged a strike in front of Swedish parliament in August 2018. She spoke at UN Climate Talks, the World Economic Forum, and strikes across the world since. Her work sparked the Fridays for the Future movement.
Today (Friday March 15), thousands of schoolchildren in more than 100 countries will strike against climate change.
There are 301 candidates in the running for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Read back on Dazed’s report on London’s own youth climate change strike, and our guide to what you need to know about the incredible Greta Thunberg.