World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental action around the world and is celebrated by millions of people each year. This year’s theme is #OnlyOneEarth in recognition of the planetary emergency we face and the need for urgent action to address them and shift from damaging planetary systems to regenerating them.
The #OnlyOneEarth campaign focuses on three environmental issues that together see us facing a planetary emergency:
the climate is heating up too quickly for people and nature to adapt;
habitat loss and other pressures mean an estimated one million species are threatened with extinction:
pollution continues to poison our air, land and water.
The campaign argues that for us to face this triple threat, we need a triple-tiered approach from individuals, government and industry. The #OnlyOneEarth Practical Guide thus outlines some of the collective, transformative actions that governments, cities, businesses, organizations and individuals can take to protect and restore our planet.
World Environment Day (June 5) was first celebrated in 1973 following the first major conference convened by the United Nations on environmental issues. Often called the Stockholm Conference, the Conference on the Human Environment aimed to encourage national governments around the world to reach a common understanding of ongoing environmental issues and how they should be addressed.
An event run by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Environment Day provides an opportunity to generate political momentum around environmental concerns and has developed into a global platform for action. Millions of people have participated and demanded changes in our own consumption habits, corporate behaviour and government policy.
To find out more about World Environment Day and how you can participate, visit worldenvironmentday.global.
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