Greta Thunberg, Swedish teen activist, nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Copenhagen: Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish activist who is a prominent voice in the fight against climate change, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize this year.

Norwegian deputy Andre Ovstegard told the "VG" newspaper on Wednesday that he and two other parliamentarians of the Socialist Left Party have nominated Thunberg because "climate threats are perhaps one of the most important contributions to war and conflict", and "the mass movement that she has promoted is a very important contribution to peace", reports Efe news.

"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," he added.

Six months ago no one knew who Thunberg was when, as a 15-year-old, she camped outside Sweden's parliament next to a hand-written sign: "SCHOOL STRIKE FOR CLIMATE".

Since then she has gone global, striking a chord with younger people disillusioned by the slow progress of the adult world in halting climate change.

On Friday, thousands of students are expected to demonstrate in more than 100 countries in what activists say could be a milestone moment in a grassroots campaign to push world leaders into doing more.

"We are only seeing the beginning," Thunberg, now 16, tweeted recently.

"I think that change is on the horizon and the people will stand up for their future."

Thunberg stopped going to school every Friday and instead protested in front of the Swedish Parliament to demand more effective measures against climate change.

After her speeches at the UN climate change conference in Poland and at the Davos forum, she became an example for many young people all over the world, who since have promoted similar initiatives.

Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai in 2014 became the youngest winner of the prize, at the age of 17.

This year's Nobel Peace Prize has 304 candidates, of which 219 are individuals and 85 organisations, the Norwegian Nobel Committee reported last month.

The Nobel prizes are awarded each year on December 10, coinciding with the anniversary of the death of its founder Alfred Nobel, in a double ceremony: at the Oslo City Hall in Norway, for the Peace Prize, and in the Konserthus in Stockholm, Sweden, for the other five awards.

The Nobel Peace Prize last year went to Congo's Denis Mukwege and Iraq's Nadia Murad for "their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict", according to the Nobel Committee's ruling.

(With inputs from IANS and AFP)