This year is the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day, first held on June 5 in 1974. Led by UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), the event has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach, with millions of people from across the world engaging to protect the planet. In 2022, over 150 countries participated, people from governments, businesses, civil society, schools, cities and communities, came together to raise awareness and celebrate environmental action.
World Environment Day 2023, with the theme Solutions to Plastic Pollution, brings attention to the urgency of addressing plastic waste in urban environments. More than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year, 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. Today, plastic clogs our landfills, leaches into the ocean and is combusted into toxic smoke, making it one of the gravest threats to the planet.
As cities continue to expand and populations grow, the need for effective waste management solutions becomes increasingly critical to ensure the sustainability and liveability of our urban spaces.
Further reading on the use platform:
To access case studies on the environment and climate action you can search the use platform database by SDG 13, or topic: environmental protection, climate adaptation and climate mitigation. Additional information can be found on use.topic page for Green Cities.