World Environment Day

By Hemant Kumar|Updated : June 5th, 2020

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) annually organizes events for World Environment Day every year on 5th June. It aims to encourage worldwide awareness and inciting action for environmental protection by engaging governments, businesses, celebrities and citizens to align their efforts on a pressing environmental issue.

 

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) annually organizes events for World Environment Day every year on 5th June. It aims to encourage worldwide awareness and inciting action for environmental protection by engaging governments, businesses, celebrities and citizens to align their efforts on a pressing environmental issue.

Theme: 

The World Environment Day 2020’s theme is ‘Biodiversity‘.

The theme selected is quite relevant given the rising concerns of the deterioration of our biodiversity and the adverse impact, it is posing to have on life on earth. It is quite eminent to understand that life on earth cannot continue by letting human lives persists in isolation. Biodiversity is important for the survival of all living beings big and small, on land, or in water. Recent events from bushfires in Australia, the United States and Brazil to locust infestations across East Africa which have since reached India–and the current global disease pandemic showcases the interdependence of humans and the webs of life with which they exist. 

Host Nation

Colombia in partnership with Germany

Last 5 years Host and Theme of World Environment Day

YearHostTheme
2021Pakistan 'Reimagine. Recreate. Restore'
2020

Colombia in partnership with Germany

Biodiversity
2019ChinaBeat Air Pollution
2018IndiaBeat Plastic Pollution
2017Canada Connecting People to Nature: in the city & on the land, from the poles to the equator

Background:

  • The year 1972 started as the beginning of international environmental politics development with the first major conference on environmental issues, convened under the United Nations, was held from June 5-16 in Stockholm (Sweden). The goal of the conference was to create a common outlook on the ways to address the challenge of preserving and enhancing the human environment.
  • In the same year, on 15 December, the United Nation General Assembly adopted a resolution designating June 5 as World Environment Day. This date coincides with the first day of the landmark Environmental Conference.
  • Also on 15 December, the General Assembly adopted another resolution that led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the specialized agency on environmental issues.
  • World Environment Day since its inception in the year 1974, has helped UNEP to raise awareness and generate political momentum around raising concerns, such as the depletion of the ozone layer, desertification, toxic chemicals, and global warming.

Significance of World Environment Day:

The central idea of the World Environment Day is to create awareness among various stakeholders to work for the conservation of Environment. The day raises awareness about environmental issues like global warming, marine pollution, protection of wildlife, and sustainable consumption. Over time, World Environment Day has become well popularised and act as a global platform for countries to reach out to the public so as to remind them of not taking the nature for granted and to read the changing signs, understand them, and act accordingly.

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