What is World Environment Day?

In 1972, the United Nations General Assembly marked the beginning of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment by creating World Environment Day (WED). Commemorated annually on June 5, WED promotes international awareness of environmental issues and draws political and public attention to the environment. WED is distinct from Earth Day, which is celebrated April 22. While both are celebrated internationally, Earth Day is a United States holiday originally designed to commemorate the beginning of the country's modern environmental movement in the 1970s.

As stated by the United Nations Environment Programme website, WED's four goals are:

  1. Give a human face to environmental issues;
  2. Empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development;
  3. Promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes toward environment issues;
  4. Advocate partnerships which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

Each year WED is held in a different country and draws political and public attention to a different environmental topic. This year, WED 2009 will be hosted by Mexico and will have the theme, "UNite to Combat Climate Change."

 

back

 

Article written by Rebecca Slocum.