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World Environment Day is a yearly celebration held on 5th June to acknowledge the importance of the environment and to encourage positive action to protect it.[1] The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) runs the yearly event. Each year has a particular theme to encourage involvement and to focus attention on specific issues.

World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated in over 100 countries.[1]

The WED had its origins in 1972, and was established by the UN General Assembly on the starting day of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, making it an anniversary celebration of the Stockholm Conference as well.[2]

The WED gives a wide range of people the opportunity to do something in honour of the day, from governments and corporations to community groups and individuals. Activities associated with the theme actually occur throughout the year of the theme, but the 5th of June serves as the climactic point for the celebrations, providing a highlight opportunity.[3] The aim is to not only recognise personal responsibility but to also be empowered as agents for change to do something positive about environmental protection, sustainability and poverty alleviation.[3]

Some ideas for how to celebrate World Environment Day

You can celebrate the day in various ways, using your own interests, talents and connections to increase awareness of the need to care for the environment that sustains all of us. Some examples include sports, arts and crafts, film, music and dance, and education and learning.[4]

If you're in a host country or city, there will likely be additional celebration events planned by the local municipality, national government and other entities. Find out what they're doing by checking their websites or contacting them directly via email, Facebook, etc.

It is also suggested that you look on the UNEP site for a toolkit, usually in PDF form, that sets out ways to celebrate the particular theme for the year.

Yearly themes for World Environment Day

World Environment Day celebration themes are as follows:[6][7]

Year Theme Host city
1974 Only One Earth (Planet) Spokane, United States
1975 Human Settlements Dhaka, Bangladesh
1976 Water: Vital Resource for Life Canada
1977 Ozone Layer Environmental Concern; Lands Loss and Soil Degradation Sylhet, Bangladesh
1978 Development Without Destruction Sylhet, Bangladesh
1979 Only One Future for Our Children – Development Without Destruction Sylhet, Bangladesh
1980 A New Challenge for the New Decade: Development Without Destruction Sylhet, Bangladesh
1981 Ground Water; Toxic Chemicals in Human Food Chains Sylhet, Bangladesh
1982 Ten Years After Stockholm (Renewal of Environmental Concerns) Dhaka, Bangladesh
1983 Managing and Disposing of Hazardous Waste: Acid Rain and Energy Sylhet, Bangladesh
1984 Desertification Rajshahi, Bangladesh
1985 Youth: Population and the Environment Pakistan
1986 A Tree for Peace Ontario, Canada
1987 Environment and Shelter: More Than A Roof Nairobi, Kenya
1988 When People Put the Environment First, Development Will Last Bangkok, Thailand
1989 Global Warming; Global Warning Brussels, Belgium
1990 Children and the Environment Mexico City, Mexico
1991 Climate Change. Need for Global Partnership Stockholm, Sweden
1992 Only One Earth, Care and Share Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1993 Poverty and the Environment – Breaking the Vicious Circle Beijing, People's Republic of China
1994 One Earth One Family London, United Kingdom
1995 We the Peoples: United for the Global Environment Pretoria, South Africa
1996 Our Earth, Our Habitat, Our Home Istanbul, Turkey
1997 For Life on Earth Seoul, Republic of Korea
1998 For Life on Earth – Save Our Seas Moscow, Russian Federation
1999 Our Earth – Our Future – Just Save It! Tokyo, Japan
2000 The Environment Millennium – Time to Act Adelaide, Australia
2001 Connect with the World Wide Web of Life Torino, Italy and Havana, Cuba
2002 Give Earth a Chance Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
2003 Water – Two Billion People are Dying for It! Beirut, Lebanon
2004 Wanted! Seas and Oceans – Dead or Alive? Barcelona, Spain
2005 Green Cities – Plan for the Planet! San Francisco, United States
2006 Deserts and Desertification – Don't Desert Drylands! Algiers, Algeria
2007 Melting Ice – a Hot Topic? London, England
2008 Kick The Habit – Towards A Low Carbon Economy Wellington, New Zealand
2009 Your Planet Needs You – Unite to Combat Climate Change Mexico City, Mexico
2010 Many Species. One Planet. One Future Rangpur, Bangladesh
2011 Forests: Nature at your Service New Delhi, India
2012 Green Economy: Does it include you? Brazil
2013 Think.Eat.Save. Reduce Your Foodprint Mongolia
2014 Raise Your Voice, Not the Sea Level Barbados
2015 Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care. Italy
2016 Join the Race to Make the World a Better Place. Saudi Arabia

See also

Sources and citations

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