Today she's cutting class. But instead of getting detention,16-year-old Greta Thunberg has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Swedish activist got widespread attention last fall when she skipped school for three weeks, protesting outside Sweden's Parliamentary building and demanding radical action on climate change. That sparked a movement leading to today's Youth Climate Strike, with students protesting in more than 130 U.S. cities and 90 countries.

"More people are starting to become aware of the situation and that we are facing a crisis," Thunberg told CBS News. "And I think it is amazing to see that hundreds of thousands of children from all around the world are realizing this and are making their voices heard. Why should we go and study for a future that may not exist anymore?"

In December, Thunberg addressed world leaders at the United Nations Climate Conference. She has gained a large following on social media, with more than 600,000 followers on Instagram. Three Norwegian lawmakers have nominated Thunberg for the Peace Prize.

"We have nominated Greta because the climate threat may be one of the most important contributions to war and conflict," Andre Ovstegard told Norwegian newspaper VG. "The massive movement Greta has set in motion is a very important peace contribution."

If Thunberg wins, she would be the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize since Malala Yousafzai won in 2014 at age 17.

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