World Environment Day

World Environment Day

Celebrated annually, World Environment Day raises awareness about environmental protection. 

This year's theme of beating plastic pollution serves as a reminder for us to take action and adopt circular practices. With earth’s natural resources being depleted at an alarming rate, nearly twice as fast as the planet can replenish them, taking action to combat climate change has never been more important. 

World Environment Day is observed every year on 5th June. Every World Environment Day is hosted by a different country, in which official celebrations take place. This year's host is Côte d'Ivoire in partnership with the Netherlands. 

This year the thrust in India is on the Mission LiFE. 

The concept of LiFE aims to promote sustainable living by encouraging individuals to make changes in their lifestyles and emphasizes responsible and conscious use of resources to safeguard and conserve the environment.

The concept was launched by the Indian Prime Minister during CoP-26. Mission LiFE Mission is designed with the objective to mobilise at least one billion Indians and other global citizens to take individual and collective action for protecting and conserving the  environment in the period 2022–28.

India has banned single-use plastic. This year the thrust is on the Mission LiFE, 
Plastic waste processing has been made mandatory. 
In the last 9 years, the number of wetlands and Ramsar sites in India has increased almost 3 times as compared to earlier.

There has been a compulsory recycling of about 30 lakh tonnes of plastic packaging in India which is 75 percent of the total annual plastic waste produced in India, 

Key Takeaways

  • World Environment Day is observed on the 5th of June every year to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.
  • This year's theme is  under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution, 'Ecosystem Restoration'. 
  • A slew of technologies supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) are gearing us up to beat plastic pollution by tackling the increasing menace through reducing, reusing and recycling plastic, paving the path towards sustainable development. 
  • World Environment Day is organised by the United Nations.  

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