June 5th is World Environment Day. Let’s take a look at this year’s theme and a few different ways to make a big impact on World Environment Day — after all, there’s #OnlyOneEarth!
Image: Arthon Meekodong / Canva
There Is #OnlyOneEarth — Together, We Can Protect It!
This year, the theme is #OnlyOneEarth, which marks the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Stockholm Conference. This conference led to the creation of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and was instrumental in the creation of World Environment Day — which began shortly after in 1974. 50 years on, the motto is still relevant to today.
To honour the Swedish origins of World Environment Day, the Swedish Government is set to host World Environment Day alongside UNEP. Minister for Environment and Climate and Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden Per Bolund said: “As a proud host of 2022 World Environment Day, Sweden will highlight the most pressing environmental concerns, showcase our country’s initiatives and the global efforts of addressing the climate and nature crises”.
Image: Piyaset / Canva
Triple Planetary Crises | Climate Change, Nature Loss & Pollution
#OnlyOneEarth still rings true in 2022. The Earth is facing plenty of seemingly unrelated environmental issues, but the reality is that they’re all connected.
“In 2022, we hope to see a world turning the corner on the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. But we do so with the knowledge that we continue to face the triple planetary crises of climate change, nature loss, and pollution,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. #OnlyOneEarth “reminds us of the critical work of protecting our environment.”
The theme also shines a spotlight on how collective action from governments, businesses, communities etc can help to reverse climate change, nature loss and pollution.
Image: LyaCattel / Canva
Latest IPCC Report Is A “Wake Up Call For Humanity”
You’ve probably seen some commentary from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released in early April. It has been labelled as a “wake up call for humanity” and a “now-or-never moment” — especially in the lead up to World Environment Day.
The good news is that we know exactly how to decarbonise our major industries to halve our global emissions by 2030, and reach net-zero by 2050. UNEP climate change expert, Niklas Hagelberg, says that the “now-or-never” is flawed.
“With climate change, every tenth of a degree matters,” said Hagelberg. “1.5°C is better than 1.6°C and 1.6°C is better than 1.7°C. This battle does not end when – or if – we overshoot 1.5°C. We must continue until we reach net zero,” he said.
Image: Jotily / Canva
3 Unconventional Ways To Make An Impact On World Environment Day!
Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs, use less water, pick up litter… these are some of the most well-known ways to help the environment, but if you’re looking to make a bigger impact — take a look at our three tips below!
- Stop funding the climate crisis. Tools like Responsible Returns can help you to find responsible/ethical banking, superannuation and investment products that don’t fund fossil fuel industries.
- Switch to a green energy provider. Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s Green Electricity Guide ranks energy providers from most sustainable to least sustainable, depending on your location.
- Write to your local MP. Our MPs exist to serve the public and create policies to make our lives better — so why not make your voice heard? Perhaps you want to talk about Australia’s rising carbon emissions, or the impact that extreme weather events have had on your life.
What will you do on World Environment Day? June 5th is the perfect time to make your voice heard and encourage others to do the same! If you’re looking to register an event or keep up to date with the latest environmental news, head over to https://www.worldenvironmentday.global
To discover more ways to help our environment, check out the blogs below.
Earth Day 2022 | 3 Ways You Can #InvestInOurPlanet!
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