The year 2022 celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Stockholm Conference, which took place in 1972. The tagline for World Environment Day 2022, which was held in Sweden, is “Only One Earth,” which emphasizes living sustainably in harmony with nature.

On World Environment Day, the world is confronting many catastrophes, including climate change, biodiversity loss, increased carbon emissions, etc.

This day serves as a reminder of people’s ability at the grassroots and community levels to effect good change by making better personal choices and keeping a close eye on government and corporate policies that harm our environment. “Only One Earth” is what we have.

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A Brief History

The Stockholm Conference, also known as the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, was held in 1972 and was the first international conference to focus on the environment. It recognized the right to live in a healthy environment to be a basic human right.

Over the years, World Environment Day has evolved into a global forum for people from all walks of life to join in various activities to raise environmental awareness. Every year, World Environment Day is commemorated with a unique subject and motto that tackles the most pressing environmental issue of the day. Each year, a new country hosts the event.

How the world reacted to the Golden jubilee of world’s environment day

1. Sweden

As Sweden is the host nation of 2022 world environment day and also the nation where it all began 50 years ago. A performance in Stockholm will bring together musicians from around the world to raise awareness about the urgent need to eliminate deforestation by 2030 and protect human and environmental health. Since its inception in 2008, United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD), an information and advice platform on forest solutions to the climate problem, has helped decrease forest emissions equivalent to those produced by 150 million automobiles per year and has channeled and mobilized over US$1 billion.

2. Romania

The Green Project has given free electronic trash collection and set up community drop-off stations throughout Mara Mures County in the month, building up to World Environment Day. The corporation increased awareness about the necessity of efficient e-waste recycling and the need to embrace a circular economy model with extra incentives, including a lottery. The UNEP’s programs encourage chemical and pollution control, as well as circularity (the technique of reducing new resource inputs by recycling items).

3. Egypt

Ali Abdo, a sustainability and environmental activist who advocates for further electric vehicle development, holds the Guinness World Record for the most distance traveled on an electric motorbike in 24 hours: 919.87 km in 2021. He will ride his electric motorcycle across Egyptian cities along the Nile River ahead of World Environment Day to visit students and government leaders and deliver presentations on the effects of the climate issue. More than 50 low- and middle-income nations benefit from UNEP’s Global Electric Mobility Program, which helps them transition from fossil fuel to electric cars. This expands on the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles’ efforts, which culminated in the termination of leaded fuel manufacturing last year following a 20-year battle.

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Activities and Protests in India to Make Aware of the Environment

1. Cyclothon, Mumbai

A cyclothon will be held in Mumbai by the Bhamla Foundation, a volunteer-driven non-governmental organization, to promote greener modes of transportation. The Indian city’s transportation systems rely heavily on fossil fuels, adding to air pollution, which is the world’s leading environmental danger to public health. According to UNEP partner IQ Air, air pollution caused 14,000 fatalities and $2 billion in economic damages in Mumbai last year. According to UNEP data, nine out of ten people worldwide breathe contaminated air, which causes one out of every nine fatalities. The cyclothon, which covered a 10-kilometer track, provided a forum for thousands of cyclists and environmentalists to promote net-zero emissions.

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2. Student Federation of India Protest, Dehradun

On the Occasion of World Environment Day, the Student Federation of India has called for a protest in Dehradun. The motto is to raise their voice against the fast deforestation of the forest around the city. The students are not against the development; they are against the blind development project, which is burning the locals of the city. This is not just the case in Dehradun but also in the whole Uttarakhand region. The loss of the green cover would have an impact on the natural habitat of the region’s flora and wildlife, as well as a result of traffic congestion. Climate change is a genuine and pressing issue in today’s world. The residents of Dehradun can really feel that through the rising level of heat.