World Environment Day comes on every 5th of June of the year. World Environment Day is a day to raise awareness of the importance of respecting and doing your bit for the environment. World environment day will be celebrated by people all across the world on the 5th of June, on Monday. The Special on World Environment Day is celebrated by focusing on the most important environmental issue. The theme of world environment day was fighting against the illegal trade in wildlife for life and zero tolerance for the illicit trade in wildlife, focusing on saving the lives of Wild Animals like rhinos, gorillas, whales, sea turtles, rosewoods, helmeted hornbills, tigers including other species. The primary purpose of this year’s celebration was to take active steps to restrict the illegal trade of wildlife, which put the biodiversity of this planet in danger. The host country of this event is Angola which has organized safeguards. The theme is the message aimed at eradicating all the bad practices of illegal trade in wildlife.

History of World Environment Day

World Environment Day celebrations have been held annually since 1974, and in 1987, the idea of rotating the center activities by selecting different host countries. It has been celebrated as an annual event every 5th of June since 1973 to raise global awareness of the green environment in human lives and also to solve environmental issues by implementing environmental actions positively and also to make the aware public worldwide that everyone is responsible for saving his environment. The celebration of environment day in different cities of the world and the big annual festival started by the United Nations General Assembly engage millions of people from several countries and draw the attention of political and health organizations to do some practical actions. World Environment Day was first established to celebrate every year through effective campaigns by the United Nations General Assembly, and Environment began on the 5th of June at the United Nations in 1972.

World Environment Day

Themes of World Environment Day

The past themes of World Environment Day and World Environment Day 2023 theme are listed below

  • 2023 – “Solutions to plastic pollution” under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution.
  • 2022 – “Only One Earth”
  • 2021 – “Ecosystem Restoration.”
  • 2020 – “Time for Nature.”
  • 2019 – “Beat Air Pollution.”
  • 2018 – “Beat Plastic Pollution.”
  • 2017 – “Connecting People to Nature in the City and on the Land, from the Poles to the Equator.”
  • 2016 – “Zero tolerance for the illegal trade in wildlife” (highlights the fight against illicit trade in wildlife).
  • 2015 – “One World and One Environment.”
  • 2014 – “The small island developing states” or “SIDS” and “Raise your voice, not the sea level.”
  • 2013 – “Think. Eat. Save.” And slogan was “Reduce Your Foodprint.”
  • 2012 – “Green Economy is included.”
  • 2011 – “In Forests, Nature at Your Service.”
  • 2010 – “Many Species. One Planet including One Future”.
  • 2009 – “Your Planet Wants You – Unite to Climate Change.”
  • 2008 – “CO2 as Kick the Habit – Towards a Low Carbon Economy”.
  • 2007 – “Melting Ice – It is a Hot Topic.”
  • 2006 – “Deserts and Desertification,” and the slogan was “Don’t Desert Drylands!.”
  • 2005 – “Green Cities” and slogan “Plan for the Planet!”.
  • 2004 – “Wanted the Sea and Oceans” and slogan was “Dead or Alive?”.
  • 2003 – “Water” and the slogan was “2 Billion People are Dying!”.
  • 2002 – “Give Earth the Chance.”
  • 2001 – “Connect with World Wide Web of Life.”
  • 2000 – “The Environment Millennium” and the slogan, “Time to Act.”
  • 1999 – “Our Earth and Our Future” and the slogan was “Just Save It!”.
  • 1998 – “For Life on Earth slogan was “Save Our Sea.”
  • 1997 – “For Life Earth.”
  • 1996 – “Our Habitat, Our Earth, Our Home.”
  • 1995 – “We the Peoples who United for the Global Environment.”
  • 1994 – “One Earth with One Family.”
  • 1993 – “Poverty and Environment’s slogan was “Break a Vicious Circle.”
  • 1992 – “Only One Earth, only Care, and Only Share.”
  • 1991 – “Climate Change. Need for Global Partnership”.
  • 1990 – “Children and the Environment.”
  • 1989 – “Global Warming; Global Warning.”
  • 1988 – “When People Put the Environment First, Development Will Last.”
  • 1987 – “Environment and Shelter: More Than A Roof.”
  • 1986 – “A Tree for Peace.”
  • 1985 – “Youth: Population and the Environment.”
  • 1984 – “Desertification.”
  • 1983 – “Managing and Disposing Hazardous Waste: Acid Rain and Energy.”
  • 1982 – “Ten Years after Stockholm (Renewal of Environmental Concerns).”
  • 1981 – “Ground Water; Toxic Chemicals in Human Food Chains.”
  • 1980 – “A New Challenge for the New Decade: Development without Destruction.”
  • 1979 – “Only One Future for Our Children slogan was “Development without Destruction.”
  • 1978 – “Development without Destruction.”
  • 1977 – “Ozone Layer Environmental Concern; Lands Loss and Soil Degradation.”
  • 1976 – “Water: Vital Resource for Life.”
  • 1975 – “Human Settlements Environment.”
  • 1974 – “One Earth during Expo ’74”.
  • 1973 – “Only one Earth.”

Quotes of World Environment Day

  • “The environment is everything that isn’t me.” – Albert Einstein
  • “God cared for trees, saved them from drought, avalanches, and a thousand tempests, disease, and floods.     But he cannot save them from fools”. – John Muir
  • “I think the environment is put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise, what is there to defend”? – Robert Redford
  • “Thank God men cannot fly, to lay waste the sky as the earth.” – Henry David Thoreau
  • “Never doubt that a group which is small of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. It’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
  • “We won’t have a society while destroying the environment.” – Margaret Mead
  • “It is horrifying that we have to fight our government to save the environment.” – Ansel Adams

Other Celebrations on June 5

June 5 is also celebrated as

How to Celebrate the World Environment Day

Celebrating World Environment Day by Registering an activity your school, business, workplace, or community group is doing for WED. The great thing about recording your event is that you can inspire others who learn about what you’re doing. Also, check out which country is the host country for WED for the year. Set yourself a timeline to meet, with harder changes coming at the end of the schedule. For example, India is the host country for WED. If you live in the host country and expect extra exciting activities to plan. To spread awareness on social media, use #WorldEnvironmentDay.

Thank you for reading the post. Celebrate every day with Happydays365.org and Happy World Environment Day 2023.