This came along with official celebrations held in Stockholm and host country Sweden announcing a ban on issuing new licenses for the extraction of coal , oil , and natural gas as of 1 July this year to protect people and the planet .

Announcing the ban at the official celebrations , Sweden ’ s Minister for Climate and the Environment , Annika Strandhäll , said , “ Making the green jobs of the future by accelerating the climate transition is one of the top priorities for the Swedish government . As part of our efforts to implement our climate ambitions , we must take actions against activities that have a negative impact on our health and our environment . Our message to the global community is clear . The winners in the global race will be the ones that speed up the transition , not the ones that lag behind and cling to a dependency on fossil fuels .”

Tens of millions of people around the world joined global conversations on social media demanding urgent action to conserve and restore the environment . Tens of thousands organised their own activities , including the planting of millions of trees , cleaning trash and taking actions to highlight that there is # OnlyOneEarth .

2022 marks the 49th time World Environment Day has been celebrated . It was established following the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972 , and is celebrated annually on 5 June , with a different country hosting it each year . This year ’ s theme – # OnlyOneEarth – mirrors the theme of the first World Environment Day in 1973 . It calls for collective , transformative action on a global scale to celebrate , protect and restore our planet .

World Environment Day is the United Nations ’ principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment . The day has also become a vital platform for promoting progress on the environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals . With the United Nations Environment Programme ( UNEP ) at the helm , over 150 countries participate each year . Major corporations , non-governmental organisations , communities , governments and celebrities from across the world adopt the World Environment Day brand to champion environmental causes .

“ Fifty years ago , the world ’ s leaders came together at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and committed to protecting the planet . But we are far from succeeding . We can no longer ignore the alarm bells that ring louder every day ,” said UN secretary-general António Guterres said in his

World Environment Day message . “ The recent Stockholm + 50 environment meeting reiterated that all 17 Sustainable Development Goals rely on a healthy planet ,” he added . “ We must all take responsibility to avert the catastrophe being wrought by the triple crises of climate change , pollution and biodiversity loss .”

The event , held at the Tekniska Museet in Stockholm , included a discussion between Ms . Strandhäll , Inger Andersen , executive director of the UN Environment Programme , and young people .

“ The triple planetary crisis is accelerating , and why ? Because we consume 1.7 planets a year . We have only one Earth . We have to accept that we ' re not doing enough to protect it ,” Andersen stressed . “ I stand before you because we have to do better . We know what to do . The science has told us we have to end fossil fuels . We have to restore nature to its full glory . We have to transform our food systems . We have to make our cities green .”

Around the world , countries and communities acted on World Environment Day to make a real difference to their environments . Religious leaders came together to sign a landmark appeal on climate-responsible finance . These organisations will only engage with financial institutions that are aligned with the Paris Agreement objective of limiting global warming to 1.5 ° C .

In India , Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the LiFe initiative to raise awareness about sustainable lifestyles .

New Zealand ’ s Government announced on World Environment Day that the Styx Living Laboratory and partners will receive USD 4.12-million of Jobs for Nature funding to protect the Styx River ( Pūharakekenui ).

Argentina has adopted the exotic invasive species national strategy , including joint management plans with Chile , while Paraguay will launch the Paraguay + Verde project to address climate change after receiving financial support of USD50-million from the Green Climate Fund .

To commence on World Environment Day , Singapore ’ s Quest Global , one of the world ’ s fastest growing engineering services firms , announced its Quest Global Pledge – a global reforestation drive . In partnership with One Tree Planted , the firm will plant 500 000 trees globally by 2025 .

In conjunction with the United Nations Association Canada , and with funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada , an official event will launch a curriculum on Indigenous Conservation across Canada .

Uruguay announced that it will start participatory processes towards work on its second Nationally Determined Contributions towards the Paris Agreement Goals . CLA