ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

World Environment Day

In 1972, the UN General Assembly designated 5 June as World Environment Day. The first celebration, under the slogan “Only One Earth” took place in 1973. In the following years, World Environment Day has developed as a platform to raise awareness on the problems facing our environment such as air pollution, plastic pollution, illegal wildlife trade, sustainable consumption, sea-level increase, and food security, among others. Furthermore, World Environment Day helps drive change in consumption patterns and in national and international environmental policy.

Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since its creation, World Environment Day has become the largest global environmental for environmental outreach, engaging a vast global audience across more than 150 countries in tackling today’s most pressing environmental challenges.

2025 Theme: Putting an End to Plastic Pollution

The 2025 edition of World Environment Day will focus on putting an end to plastic pollution.

For decades, plastic pollution has seeped into every corner of the world, leaching into the water we drink, into the food we eat, and our bodies. While plastic pollution is a major concern, it is also one of the most fixable of today’s environmental challenges, with some obvious solutions at hand.

A resolution was adopted in 2022 at the United Nations Environment Assembly to develop a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. This year’s World Environment Day observance comes as countries make progress towards securing the global treaty to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. In November 2024, the Republic of Korea hosted the first part of the fifth session of negotiations to develop a plastic pollution treaty. The resumed session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) will take place from 5 to 14 August in Geneva.

World Environment Day this year aims at mobilizing communities worldwide to implement and advocate for solutions, spotlighting the growing scientific evidence on the impacts of plastic pollution and drive momentum to refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rethink plastics use. It will also reinforce the global commitment made in 2022 to end plastic pollution through a global plastic pollution treaty.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse