When Leonardo spoke about saving Earth in his 2016 Oscar speech, we were expecting a flurry of efforts and movements from all over the world in the wake of saving planet Earth. But nothing of all that sort happened!
Making the world a better place is a continuous quest and this year as World Environment Day nears, the United Nations takes up the project #GenerationRestoration. The international organization focuses on elimination of plastic pollution by promoting alternatives and supporting policies.
There’s no denying we need a robust plan of action to overcome the threats that our Mother Earth faces. And of course, every individual effort counts. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the facts relating to the Day.
What Is World Environment Day?
The United Nations has dedicated a day to environment conservation and public outreach. The day encourages worldwide awareness about conserving natural resources and protecting the planet Earth. Moreover, it’s a global platform for raising awareness about the pressing problems harming our environment such as global warming, pollution, deforestation, etc.
Who Founded It?
The United Nations General Assembly founded the World Environment Day for the preservation and enhancement of the environment. It’s led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the global authority focusing on climate, nature, pollution and more. The organization that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022 has been a leading advocate of environmental development.
Did You Know?
It takes around 1,000 years to generate 3 centimeters of topsoil. However, as per the United Nations, the equivalent of one football field of earth erodes every 5 seconds.
When Was World Environment Day Celebrated For The First Time?
The world celebrated this momentous day for the first time in 1973 in Switzerland. The theme of the day that year was ‘Only One Earth’. The second celebration, which was held in the United States, had the same theme. Indeed, it added to the urgency of the much needed public awareness about the various dangers surrounding the planet.
Why Is June 5 the World Environment Day?
1972 marked the first major conference on environmental issues that was held in Stockholm (Sweden) from June 5-16. It’s known as the Conference on the Human Environment, or the Stockholm Conference. The goal of this conference was to establish a basic common outlook on promoting environmental action. On December 5, 1972, the General Assembly designated June 5 as World Environment Day to commemorate the landmark conference.
Which Countries Celebrate World Environment Day?
This international day is celebrated by people from more than 150 countries, including Germany, India and Israel, among others. Moreover, major corporations, communities, non-governmental organizations and celebrities also mark and support this crucial day to fight against environmental causes.
Did You Know?
Brazil, Canada, China, the Russian Federation and the United States of America cover more than half of the world’s forests.
What’s The Theme & Slogan Of The 2025 World Environment Day?
The central idea of the day in 2025 revolves around the use of plastic and the theme is ‘ending plastic pollution’. Reducing the single-use plastic consumption, using reusable alternatives, and encouraging separate recyclable materials are some key areas.
Every year, the world creates more than 430 million tonnes of plastic. Two-thirds of it are short-lived products that soon become waste, filling the ocean and, often, working their way into the human food chain.
In 2024, the theme was land restoration, halting desertification and building drought resilience, under the slogan ‘Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration’. 2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Which Is The Host Country?
Jeju, the Special Self-Governing Province of Republic of Korea is hosting the event in 2025. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had this honor in 2024 while the Republic of Azerbaijan will host it 2026. The host country changes every year so that different nations can showcase their vision for environmental sustainability. For instance, Canada hosted the 2017 World Environment Day with the theme ‘I’m With Nature’.
Save The Planet
A lot of issues are haunting our planet, from land degradation, desertification and drought to climate change. Saving the planet should be the duty of not only the United Nations but also every human being. While the organization is doing its bit every day, we need to do our part in conserving the environment.
It’s about time we adopted a minimalistic lifestyle that focuses on only the things that we need. We can make a huge difference in bringing positive changes to the environment by reducing our carbon footprint. Cycling to work, eating a healthy and balanced diet and not wasting food, reducing electricity usage, installing solar panels, recycling the things that are no longer needed are some of the ways to reduce your carbon footprint.
Moreover, this World Environment Day, you can encourage people around you to live a sustainable lifestyle for the betterment of the planet. For instance, giving up on plastic use, growing trees, volunteering for cleanups and picking sustainable fashion, etc. Remember that we need to take care of our environment and its species before time eventually runs out.
Environment-friendly Fashion & Jewelry
While innovation in the fashion has recently seen agave and pineapple fabric, the jewelry world is also not untouched. Lab-made diamonds and color stones are becoming mainstay for ornaments. GemsNY also keep up with the pace of this changing environment and offers various options to its customers.
Our Nature Collection truly resonate with the spirit of the World Environment Day. Flowers, leaves, petals and wines–you will find them all here. Explore today and take home the universal spirit.
