Why World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5

World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5.

World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5, a date chosen to commemorate the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972. This landmark event, also known as the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, marked the first major international gathering focused on environmental issues.

The conference, held from June 5 to June 16, brought together representatives from 113 countries to discuss and develop strategies for addressing global environmental challenges.

The significance of the Stockholm Conference extends beyond its historical context; it laid the foundation for modern environmental governance and international environmental policy. During this conference, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was established, providing a coordinated effort to promote environmental sustainability worldwide. The selection of June 5 as World Environment Day serves to honour the inception of these critical environmental initiatives and to remind the global community of the ongoing importance of environmental protection.

World Environment Day 2024: Theme

This year's theme, "Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience," with the slogan "Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration," highlights the critical need to heal our planet's ecosystems.

World Environment Day 2024: Hosts

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the 2024 World Environment Day global celebrations. The host nation plays a vital role in shaping the year's campaign and highlighting specific regional environmental challenges. Saudi Arabia faces its own struggles with desertification and aims to use this platform to champion land restoration efforts on a global scale.