World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 every year across the globe. It is the most important day for environmental action and transformative changes to preserve the planet. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) organises events for World Environment Day every year to spread awareness and encourage action for the protection of the environment.

Theme of World Environment Day 2022: Only One Earth

On 5 June, the world celebrated the first World Environment Day under the theme of “Only One Earth.” (Photo: UNEP website)

The first World Environment Day was observed with the slogan “Only One Earth” 50 years ago. Five decades later, it still stands true as the Earth is still our only home, and humanity must safeguard its finite resources. The World Environment Day 2022 global campaign uses the theme #OnlyOneEarth to call for transformative changes to policies and choices to enable cleaner, greener, and sustainable living in harmony with nature.

History and significance

In 1972, the first United Nations Conference on Environment was attended by India's Indira Gandhi. At the conference, a series of principles, the Stockholm Declaration and Action plan and several other resolutions were adopted by participants. The Stockholm Conference also marked the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

"The idea of World Environment Day was born 50 years ago at the 1972 UN Conference of the Human Environment in Stockholm. It was born out of the understanding that we need to stand up to protect the air, land and water, on which we all depend," Inger Andersen, under-secretary-general of the United Nations and executive director of the UN Environment Programme, said in a message for World Environment Day 2022.

Explore the full #Stockholm50 programme including Leadership Dialogues, Side Events and Multi-stakeholder Action Hub events +