World Environment Day 2023: History, significance and everything else you need to know

World Environment Day is being observed today, marking its 50th anniversary this year, with the theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’.

Watch ARY News live on live.arynews.tv

Celebrated annually on June 5, World Environment Day was established by United Nations at Stockholm Conference on Human Environment in 1972 and was started being celebrated the following year, with the theme ‘Only One Earth’. Backed by non-governmental organizations, business corporations and government entities, this day encourages awareness of environmental issues including pollution, global warming and sustainable development and calls for actions for the protection of the Earth by the global community.

Significance

Having started under United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) with the prime aim to bring together the efforts of hundreds of millions of people across the globe to protect and restore Earth, WED is a global platform with the annual participation of 143 countries, in a combined effort to protect the environment.

Theme

Every year, the program provides a theme on the official website of UNEP to be celebrated across the globe on June 5 and to mark five decades of Word Environment Day, the focus is on the impacts and solutions of plastic pollution, under the campaign ‘#BeatPlasticPollution’, to remind that ‘people’s action on plastic pollution matters’.

As per the UN numbers, “more than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year worldwide, half of which is designed to be used only once. Of that, less than 10 per cent is recycled. An estimated 19-23 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers and seas annually. Microplastics find their way into food, water and air. It is estimated that each person on the planet consumes more than 50,000 plastic particles per year –and many more if inhalation is considered.”

Host

The 50th anniversary of World Environment Day is being hosted by Côte d’Ivoire – the country which banned the use of plastic bags in 2014 to support a shift to reusable packaging – and is being supported by the Government of the Netherlands, which is one of the countries taking ambitious action along the plastic lifecycle, is a signatory of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and also a member of the Global Partnership on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter.

PM Shehbaz’s message

In his statement on the occasion, PM Shehbaz Sharif said his government recognizes the urgent need to reduce plastics and has taken several steps to put Pakistan on a path to sustainable use of resources.

“With an estimated 70 per cent of plastic waste being improperly disposed of, Pakistan recognizes the urgent need for action. The government has prioritized the adoption of environment-friendly alternatives and is actively working on the Plastics Prohibition Regulation 2023 for ICT [Islamabad Capital Territory]. This regulation will establish a comprehensive framework and timeline for phasing out single-use plastics, while also leading by example on a plan to reduce and then ban the use of single-use plastics by the entire federal government.,” PM stated.

Moreover, Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman spotlighted Pakistan’s commitment to promoting a sustainable circular economy for Plastics and stressed the immediate action plan to counter plastic pollution which is predicted to increase by three times by 2060.