World Environment Day – 5 June 2019

Wednesday, 5 June 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The United Nations, aware that the protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue, which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world, designated 5 June as World Environment Day.

The celebration of this day provides us with an opportunity to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment. Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in more than 100 countries.

World Environment Day is the biggest annual event for positive environmental action and takes place every 5 June. The theme for World Environment Day 2018, hosted by India, was ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’, which was a call to action for all of us to come together to combat one of the great environmental challenges of our time. The theme invited us all to consider how we can make changes in our everyday lives to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution on our natural places, our wildlife – and our own health.

2019 celebrations

World Environment Day 2019 will be hosted by China, with a theme of ‘Air Pollution’. We can’t stop breathing, but we can do something about the quality of air that we breathe. Approximately seven million people worldwide die prematurely each year from air pollution, with about four million of these deaths occurring in Asia-Pacific. World Environment Day 2019 will urge governments, industry, communities, and individuals to come together to explore renewable energy and green technologies, and improve air quality in cities and regions across the world.

Air pollution facts:

92% of people worldwide do not breathe clean air

Air pollution costs the global economy $ 5 trillion every year in welfare costs

Ground-level ozone pollution is expected to reduce staple crop yields by 26% by 2030