Countdown to World Environment Day is On

With World Environment Day 2018 just over 9 days away, communities worldwide are launching their efforts to beat plastic pollution with fanfare and focus.

In India, the global host country launched its official countdown to June 5 with a historic slate of activities ranging from nationwide clean-ups to single-use plastic bans across States, Universities and National Parks.

At a press conference in New Delhi, government officials outlined plans from communities large and small aimed at beating plastic pollution through civic engagement and celebration. With support from an inspiring cross-section of Indian society, ranging from cricket pitches to boardrooms, the scope of efforts in India represent an unprecedented national commitment to this global cause, with the promise to make this the largest and most substantial World Environment Day ever.

“Beat Plastic Pollution”, the theme for World Environment Day 2018, is a call to action for all of us to come together to combat one of the great environmental challenges of our time. The theme invites 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.

“World Environment Day is not just a celebration of the wonder of the natural world it is an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with that world and mobilize global action for causes that unite us,” Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment said. “The world is waking up to the fact that plastic pollution is one of the most urgent environmental issues of our time, but that it’s also something that we can solve. This year’s World Environment Day is therefore a call to action for all of us.”

The theme for World Environment Day 2018 is a quintessentially global one, since plastic pollution has impacted every corner of our earth by now. From the depths of the Mariana Trench to the shores of beaches in every continent, plastic is affecting all of our lives.

It’s all part of an unprecedented effort that invites us 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.

Ranging from record-breaking beach cleanups to inspiring art installations the sprint to World Environment Day, launched these days will bring together interests from all parts of the globe and all sectors of society for this common cause.

Original source: UNEP
Published on 25 May 2018