Environment Day 2022 Shows the Green Way to Sustainability

World Environment Day 2022 is a reminder that in the universe where there are billions of galaxies, and in our own galaxy there are billions of planets, but there is Only One Earth. It is this Only One Earth that sustains us and which we call our home planet. There is no Planet B to go to if we blow this one. Yet, we continue to consume this Earth at a rapid pace without thinking of the consequences. We are using the equivalent of 1.6 Earths to maintain our current way of life, and global ecosystems are finding it very difficult to keep up with our demands.

The gap between what we need to spend to adapt and what we are actually spending is widening. The estimated costs of adaptation continue to rise and could reach US$280-500 billion per year by 2050  for developing countries alone.There is a 50 per cent chance that global warming will exceed 1.5°C in the next two decades. To limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end of the century, we must halve annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Even under the most optimistic scenario where net-zero is reached by 2050, global warming will continue in the short to medium term, potentially levelling off at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

The climate crisis causes extreme weather events that kill or displace thousands and result in economic losses measured in the trillions. Another increasing challenge, ecosystem degradation, affects the well-being of an estimated 3.2 billion people, or 40 per cent of the world’s population. Individuals and civil society must play a key role in raising awareness and urging governments and the private sector to make large-scale changes. Individuals can be drivers of change through their support for businesses and governments. The actions of these larger entities can have a transformational impact, potentially locking in sustainable consumption and production behaviors for the decades to come. Each one of us can make a difference, if we decide to live sustainably and urge everyone around us to live sustainably.

Start right here, take the Environmental Day Quiz to test your knowledge and understanding about environmental issues, and learn more if you need to. And then, jump right in by downloading and reading the Practical Guide to living sustainably in harmony with nature.

The way out of ongoing environmental crisis is to transform our economies and societies to make them inclusive, fair and more connected with nature. We must shift from harming the planet to healing it. We must protect what we have and bring back what we lost to advance to a better, more sustainable future, where everyone can thrive. Read the practical guide and share it with all those who matter. The World Environment Day is the right occasion for all stakeholders to start doing more for environmental protection and for ushering the world towards sustainable development. After all, it is a global platform for inspiring positive change.

With over 150 countries participating, the World Environment Day 2022 is aimed at engaging governments, businesses, civil society, schools, celebrities, cities and communities, raising awareness and celebrating environmental action. 2022 is a also historic milestone for the global environmental community. It marks 50 years since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, widely seen as the first international meeting on the environment. Let’s make this year’s environment day special by doing all that we can for saving the Only One Earth that we have.