Date: Monday, 5 June 2023; 50th Anniversary.
Sponsor: United Nations
Objectives:
The World Environment Day is annually observed to encourage awareness on emerging environmental issues, such as marine pollution, human overpopulation, global warming, sustainable consumption and wildlife crime, and promote actions for environmental protection.
According to United Nations, “the celebration of this day provides us with an opportunity to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises, and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment.”
Inception: The World Environment Day was first observed in 1974.
On 15 December 1972, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/2994 (XXVII)), on the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, designating June 5 as World Environment Day.
In 1974, the first World Environment Day was held in the city of Spokane in the USA, with the theme “Only One Earth”.
Since 1987, each official celebration of World Environment Day was hosted by a different country selected by the United States General Assembly. In 2020, the host was Colombia in partnership with Germany.
How to celebrate the Day
Learn, share, and actions!
The United Nations General Assembly urge “governments and the organizations in the United Nations system to undertake on that day every year world-wide activities reaffirming their concern for the preservation and enhancement of the environment, with a view to deepening environmental awareness.”
Every year, the day is celebrated by engaging governments, organizations, communities, businesses, and individuals, through a range of events including seminars, lectures, conferences, educational programs, and social media campaigns, to raise and spread awareness of environmental issues and share innovative actions.
Each year a particular theme is proposed by the United Nations for the World Environment Day to focus on a pressing environmental issue.
Annual theme and host nation in recent years:
2022 theme: “Only One Earth” (Sweden)
2021 theme: “Ecosystem Restoration” (Pakistan)
2020 theme: “Time for Nature” (Colombia)
2019 theme: “Beat Air Pollution” (China)
2018 theme: “Beat Plastic Pollution” (India)
2017 theme: “Connecting People to Nature” (Canada)
2016 theme: “Zero Tolerance for the Illegal Wildlife trade” (Angola)
2015 theme: “Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care” (Italy)
Official websites:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/environment-day
http://www.worldenvironmentday.global/en
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