Today (April 20) marks World Earth Day, also known as International Mother Earth Day. The day aims to promote the sustainability of our planet and raise awareness for environmental protection.
Observed annually on April 22, this significant day engages around one billion people worldwide in activities that address the climate crisis and encourage behavioral change to preserve the environment.
This year’s Earth Day theme, announced by EARTHDAY.ORG, is ‘Planet vs. Plastics,’ with the ultimate goal of building a plastic-free future for generations to come. The theme highlights the threat that plastics pose to the planet and human health and calls for an end to all plastic waste.lastic waste.
In his message on this day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "Humanity is acting like Mother Earth’s delinquent child. We depend on nature for the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. Yet, we have brought chaos to the natural world: poisoning our planet with pollution, wiping out species and ecosystems with abandon, and destabilizing our climate with greenhouse gas emissions."
Guterres continued: "These actions harm nature, and they harm humanity. We are imperiling food production, polluting our ocean and air, creating a more dangerous, less stable environment, and holding back sustainable development."
In the same context, the UN Chief emphasized the need for collective cooperation to restore harmony with nature, encourage sustainable production and consumption, and protect ourselves from harm. This can lead to job creation, poverty reduction and sustainable development.
"This requires taking actions to prevent biodiversity loss, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. It also means supporting the most vulnerable groups, such as Indigenous Peoples and local communities, who are affected the most by the negative impacts of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss."
He stressed the importance of delivering climate justice to countries that are on the front line of climate chaos, saying: " To achieve this, it is essential to mobilize finance and support countries need to act on climate, protect nature and promote sustainable development."
Guterres urged all countries to develop new national climate plans that align with the goal of limiting the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The G20 must take the lead in this, ensuring a fast, fair and funded global phaseout of fossil fuels. He also emphasized the need to put a stop to subsidies that promote the production of planet-choking plastics and other unsustainable practices that harm nature.
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