The climate crisis is very closely linked to a wide range of environmental issues. In 1972, the United Nations met on 5th June and established a major programme focusing on the environment. The 5th June every year was to be marked as World Environment Day (WED) with a host city/nation choosing an important theme to explore in depth whilst inviting others to explore what this theme meant to them. On 5th June 1974, the very first WED was marked in Spokane in the beautiful Selkirk mountains in Washington State near the Canadian border. The theme to launch the first WED was “Only One Earth”.
Discover more about World Environment Day here.
As we learn about the climate emergency, we are encouraged to listen to stories from other communities. The themes chosen by the host cities, help to tell their stories. The host cities for recent years are listed below with their chosen themes.
Extreme events: – Algiers, Algeria 2006, Desertification
Net zero carbon: – Wellington, New Zealand 2008, Low carbon economy
Loss of ecosystems: – Kigali, Rwanda 2010, many species, one planet
Food sustainability: – Ulaanbaater, mongolia, 2013, think, eat, save
Sea and ocean effects: – Bridgetown, Barbados, 2014, raise your voice, not the sea level
Changing airstreams and currents: Tromso, Norway 2007, Melting ice – a hot topic
Eliminate Waste and reduce demand: New Delhi, India, 2018, Beat plastic pollution
Population and community: Milan, Italy 2015, 7 billion dreams, one planet
Global leadership and COP26: Mexico City, 2009, your planet needs you
| Year | Location | Theme/ slogan |
| 2005 | San Francisco, USA | Green cities: plan for the planet |
| 2006 | Algiers, Algeria | Deserts and desertification: don’t desert drylands |
| 2007 | Tromso Norway | Melting Ice – a hot topic |
| 2008 | Wellington, New Zealand | Kick the Habit! Towards a low carbon economy |
| 2009 | Mexico City, Mexico | Your planet needs you – Unite to combat climate change |
| 2010 | Kigali, Rwanda | Many species, one planet one future |
| 2011 | Delhi, India | Forests – nature at your service |
| 2012 | Brasilia, Brazil | Green economy: does it include you |
| 2013 | Ulaanbaater, Mongolia | Think, Eat, Save, reduce your footprint |
| 2014 | Bridgetown, Barbados | Raise your voice, not the sea level |
| 2015 | Milan, Italy | Seven Billion dreams. One planet. Consume with care. |
| 2016 | Luanda, Angola | Zero tolerance for the illegal wildlife trade |
| 2017 | Ottawa, Canada | Connecting People to nature – in the city and on the land from the poles to the equator |
| 2018 | New Delhi, India | Beat plastic pollution |
| 2019 | China | Beat air pollution |
| 2020 | Colombia | Time for nature (biodiversity) |
| 2021 | Islamabad, Pakistan | Ecosystem restoration |