Advertisement

Sir David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg, WHO among Nobel peace prize nominees

Sir David Attenborough, 95, was nominated for a Nobel prize for his efforts to support natural diversity.

Sir David Attenborough, 95, was nominated for a Nobel prize for his efforts to support natural diversity. Photo: BBC

Nature broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, the World Health Organisation and Belarusian dissident Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya are among the nominees for this year’s Nobel peace prize.

Also among the candidates for the accolade are Greta Thunberg, Pope Francis, the Myanmar National Unity Government formed by opponents of last year’s coup and Tuvalu’s foreign minister Simon Kofe, last-minute announcements showed.

Thousands of people, from members of parliaments worldwide to former winners, are eligible to propose candidates.

Norwegian politicians have nominated an eventual peace laureate every year since 2014 – with the exception of 2019 – including one of the two laureates last year, Maria Ressa.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which decides who wins the award, does not comment on nominations, keeping secret for 50 years the names of nominators and unsuccessful nominees.

However, some nominators, such as Norwegian politicians, choose to reveal their picks.

Attenborough, 95, is best known for his landmark television series illustrating the natural world, including Life on Earth and The Blue Planet.

He was nominated jointly with the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which assesses the state of biodiversity worldwide for policymakers.

They were put forward for “their efforts to inform about, and protect, Earth’s natural diversity, a prerequisite for sustainable and peaceful societies,” said nominator Une Bastholm, the leader of the Norwegian Green Party.

Another Green Party representative nominated Sweden’s Greta Thunberg, whose rise from teen activist to global climate leader has made her a frequent Nobel nominee in recent years, along with the Fridays For Future movement she started.

Pope Francis was nominated for his efforts to help solve the climate crisis as well as his work towards peace and reconciliation, by Dag Inge Ulstein, a former minister of international development.

Mr Kofe was nominated by the leader of Norway’s Liberal Party, Guri Melby, for his work in highlighting climate change issues.

Mr Kofe filmed a speech to last year’s COP26 climate conference standing knee deep in sea water.

The 2021 laureate will be announced in October.

-Reuters
Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.