World Environment Day 2023: Theme, history and everything else you need to know
World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 to raise awareness about environmental protection. This year's theme focuses on solutions to plastic pollution and is hosted by Côte D'Ivoire.
PremiumWorld Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5 to create awareness and encourage efforts to protect the environment. This year the theme pertains to ‘solutions to plastic pollution’ with celebrations being hosted by Côte D'Ivoire - or the Ivory Coast in west Africa. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day.
"World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world. In 2023, it is hosted by Côte D'Ivoire," reads an excerpt from the UN website.
Led by the United Nations Environment Programme, it was first established by the UN in 1972 during the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Since then, celebrations have been hosted by numerous cities spread across the world. Closer to home the list of host cities includes New Delhi which spearheaded the 2011 and 2018 events.
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As World Environment Day draws near, the UNEP has called for greater efforts to 'limit waste and push for a transition to a circular economy'. The international body also released a ‘Beat Plastic Pollution Practical Guide’, urging people to share it far and wide. It has also called for social media posts to be shared under the campaign hashtag ‘BeatPlasticPollution’.
According to details shared on the UN observances page, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year - half of which is designed to be used only once. Less than 10% is recycled while an estimated 19-23 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers and seas annually. Microplastics – tiny plastic particles up to 5mm in diameter – find their way into food, water and air. It is estimated that each person on the planet consumes more than 50,000 plastic particles per year –and many more if inhalation is considered.
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