World Earth Day 2023

By : Neha Dhyani

Updated : Mar 23, 2023, 16:33

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year to encourage people to pledge support for environmental protection. On this day, earthday_org organizes and coordinates events across 193 countries in the world, with the collaborative efforts of many other organizations. The theme for Earth Day 2023 is “Invest in Our Planet”.

This event was first organized on April 22, 1970, and has been observed every year since then. In this article, we have shared details about World Earth Day, its theme, significance and how it is celebrated around the world.

Earth Day 2023

World Earth Day gives us an opportunity to stop and reflect on the state of the earth, the planet we call our home. It gives us the opportunity to think about ways in which we can protect our planet from further deterioration. We celebrate Earth Day to pledge our support towards saving our future generations from the calamity caused due to the neglect of our planet.

earthday_org has been organizing events on this day for over five decades to spread the message. Check out the overview of World Earth Day 2023 shared below to get an idea of what it is all about.

Day

World Earth Day

Celebrated

April 22 (every year)

Observed

Globally

Earth Day 2023 Theme

Invest in Our Planet

Organized

earthday_org

Aim

To encourage people to support the protection of the environment and take action against climate change

When is World Earth Day Celebrated?

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year. United States Senator, Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea of celebrating this day throughout the nation on April 22, 1970. Therefore, April 22 was designated as World Earth Day. Today, this day is celebrated across 193 countries around the world.

World Earth Day 2023 Theme

This year’s World Earth Day theme is in continuation of the 2022 theme, “Invest in Our Planet”. This theme aims to spread the message of making effort to save our planet far and wide. The five feature programs of the Earth Day 2023 theme are as follows:

  1. Sustainable Fashion
  2. The Great Global Cleanup
  3. Canopy Project
  4. Climate and Environmental Literacy
  5. Food and Environment, and the Global Earth Challenge

Earth Day Themes

Every year on Earth Day, earthday_org announces a brand new theme. We have shared the older World Earth Day themes here.

Year

World Earth Day Theme

2023

Invest in Our Planet

2022

Invest in Our Planet

2021

Restore Our Earth

2020

Climate Action

2019

Protect Our Species

2018

End Plastic Pollution

2017

Environmental and Climate Education

2016

Trees for Earth

2015

It's Our Turn to Lead

2014

Green Cities

2013

The Face of Climate Change

2005

Healthy Environments for Children

2003

Water for Life Campaign

World Earth Day - History

The idea of Earth Day was first conceptualized by peace activist John McConnell at a UNESCO Conference in 1969. Initially, the concept of this day was tied to honoring the Earth and maintaining peace on it. Here is the complete history and timeline of World Earth Day:

  • On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated in the United States.
  • In 1990, the coordinator, Denis Hayes, made the idea of celebrating this day globally and 141 countries participated in it.
  • In 2016, Earth Day was marked by the signing of the Paris Agreement, an intergovernmental treaty for climate protection.
  • Earth Day 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of the day.

Earth Day Celebration

Around 193 countries celebrate World Earth Day every year. Given below are some ways in which this day is observed.

  • People take out rallies to spread the message of protecting the environment and tackling climate change.
  • On Earth Day, organizations such as earthday_org conduct events that help people understand climate change and the need for environmental protection.
  • World leaders take the stage to address the problems of climate change and discuss their plans to deal with it.
  • On World Earth Day, people donate to organizations and climate change activists.

What is Earth Week?

Earth Week is an unofficial extended celebration of Earth Day. To gather more attention to the campaign, some people celebrate Earth Week from April 16 to April 22. This week is dedicated to educating yourself and others about Earth Day, climate change and the need to act against it. Earth Week is a great time to start the conversation about protecting our planet.

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FAQs on World Earth Day

Q1. When is World Earth Day celebrated?

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year to encourage people to support environmental protection. It is also a day to demand action against climate change from global leaders. World Earth Day is organized by earthday_org and is observed across 193 countries worldwide.

Q2. What is the theme of World Earth Day 2023?

World Earth Day 2023 theme is “Invest in Our Planet”. This year’s theme is in continuation of last year’s theme. There are five programs in this theme:

  1. Sustainable Fashion
  2. The Great Global Cleanup
  3. Canopy Project
  4. Climate and Environmental Literacy
  5. Food and Environment, and the Global Earth Challenge

Q3. Who started Earth Day?

United States Senator, Gaylord Nelson is credited with the establishment of Earth Day. He proposed that this day be celebrated nationwide across the US on April 22, 1970. However, the idea of World Earth Day was conceptualized by the peace activist, John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference.

Q4. Why is April 22 celebrated as Earth Day?

April 22 is celebrated as Earth Day because United States Senator, Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea of celebrating this day throughout the nation on April 22, 1970. Therefore, April 22 was designated as World Earth Day. Today, Earth Day is celebrated across 193 countries.

Q5. How is World Earth Day celebrated?

People celebrate Earth Day in various ways. Some people like to participate in public rallies to raise awareness about the issues of climate change and environmental protection. Other people participate in the World Earth Day celebration by sharing the campaign motive on social media, etc.

Q6. How many countries celebrate Earth Day?

Around 193 countries worldwide celebrate Earth Day. Earlier, this day was only celebrated in the United States. However, in 1990, the coordinator, Denis Hayes, made the idea of celebrating this day globally and 141 countries participated in it.

Q7. When was Earth Day first celebrated?

The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. Before this, peace activist John McConnell suggested that Earth Day be celebrated on the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, March 21.