There is only one Earth – and it needs to be protected, now.
That was the message from scientists, policymakers, and everyday people on Sunday as millions observed World Environment Day 2022. The event featured several major policy announcements, including a pledge from Sweden to limit the extraction of coal, oil, and natural gas.
But it also came with a warning that human-induced climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste were pushing the planet to the breaking point. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his World Environment Day message, called for a unified global effort to halt environmental degradation.
“We know what to do. And, increasingly, we have the tools to do it,” he said. “But we still lack leadership and cooperation. So today, I appeal to leaders in all sectors: lead us out of this mess.”
This was echoed by Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), speaking at a World Environment Day event in Stockholm, Sweden. “The science has told us we have to end fossil fuels. We have to restore nature to its full glory. We have to transform our food systems. We have to make our cities green.”
Today, I appeal to leaders in all sectors: lead us out of this mess.
Andersen was in Sweden as the country hosted this year’s World Environment Day observance. It followed the Stockholm+50 international meeting, which wrapped up on Friday. Both events came 50 years after the Swedish capital hosted the UN Conference on the Human Environment, widely considered the first environmental summit.
The theme of this year’s World Environment Day – which has been held annually since 1973 – was “Only One Earth.”
The day saw a host of environment-related pledges from governments, businesses and community groups. Sweden announced a ban on issuing new licenses for the extraction of coal, oil, and natural gas from 1 July this year.
“Our message to the global community is clear. The winners in the global race will be the ones that speed up the transition, not the ones that lag behind and cling to a dependency on fossil fuels,” said Sweden’s Minister for Climate and the Environment, Annika Strandhäll.
In addition to the activities in Stockholm, events were held in more than 150 countries, both on and offline. Thousands shared their efforts to safeguard nature and the Only One Earth Practical Guide, which outlines some of the transformative actions that organizations and people can take, was downloaded over 50,000 times. Watch the full wrap up video above, or here.
Meanwhile, religious leaders came together to sign a landmark appeal on climate-responsible finance. The World Council of Churches, the Muslim Council of Elders and the New York Board of Rabbis pledged to only engage with financial institutions that are aligned with the Paris Agreement objective of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
One of the largest retailers in Australia, Woolworths, announced it will stop selling 15-cent reusable plastic bags across the country in a gradual phase out over the next year.
India’s largest online supermarket, bigbasket, announced it will eliminate plastic packaging from its fruit and vegetable delivery services.
Chile ratified the Escazú Agreement, which guarantees the public access to environmental information and justice.
In the Nigerian capital, Abuja, the city’s Environmental Protection Board announced it will reduce waste by 30 per cent.
Other events ranged from an electric vehicle rally in Cairo to a beach clean-up in Peru to a massive cyclathon in Mumbai to an e-waste drive in Bucharest.
Tens of millions of people demanded urgent action on social media to restore and conserve the environment, with #WorldEnvironmentDay trending on Twitter. Everyone from UN Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Pope Francis tweeted in support of environmental action.
Whatever the medium, or the event, the message was the same: time is running out and much more action is needed to stave off disaster. “The triple planetary crisis is accelerating, and why? Because we consume 1.7 planets a year,” Andersen said in Stockholm. “We have only one Earth. We have to accept that we're not doing enough to protect it.”
About World Environment Day
World Environment Day on 5 June is the biggest international day for the environment. Led by UNEP and held annually since 1973, the event has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach, with millions of people from across the world engaging to protect the planet.
