World Environment Day, celebrated today, is aimed at encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Organised by the United Nations, this event is a global platform for public outreach and is celebrated by stakeholders in over 100 countries.
This year, the theme is “Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care”. The well-being of humanity, the environment, and the functioning of the economy ultimately depend upon the responsible management of natural resources. And yet, evidence is building that people are consuming far more natural resources than what the planet can sustainably provide.
High population growth and economic development are pushing many of the Earth’s ecosystems towards critical tipping points of depletion or irreversible change. It is estimated that if current consumption and production patterns remain the same and with a rising population expected to reach 9.6 billion, by 2050, we will need three planets to sustain our ways of living and consumption.
Consuming with care means living within planetary boundaries to ensure a healthy future. Human prosperity need not cost the earth and rising rates of natural resource use and the environmental impacts that occur are not a necessary by-product of economic growth.
Through decades of World Environment Day celebrations, hundreds of thousands of people from countries all over the world and from all sectors of society have participated in individual and organised environmental action.
World Environment Day is being globally hosted by Italy, a country which is at the forefront of global action towards improved global nutrition and resource use.
“This year, World Environment Day will focus on the need to respect the carrying capacity of the planet and to manage natural resources efficiently, all aspects that are of utmost importance if we really want to ensure prosperity and well-being globally,” said Italian Minister for the Environment Gian Luca Galletti.
Living within planetary boundaries is the most promising strategy for ensuring a healthy future.