Environment day 2023

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Held annually since 1973, World Environment Day is the United Nations' principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment. The day has also become a platform for promoting progress on the environmental dimensions of the SDGs. This year Côte d'Ivoire is the designated host. The country banned the use of plastic bags in 2014 to support a shift to reusable packaging. The largest city, Abidjan, has also become a hub for start-ups looking to beat plastic pollution. “The scourge of plastic pollution is a visible threat that impacts every community around the world," said Jean-Luc Assi, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development. “As host of World Environment Day 2023, we welcome all sectors, from governments and businesses to civil society, to come together to find and champion solutions.” World Environment Day will be supported by the Government of the Netherlands, which is one of the countries taking ambitious action along the plastic lifecycle. It is a signatory of the It is also a member of the High Ambition Coalition calling for a strong and ambitious international legally binding instrument to combat plastic pollution. The announcement follows a The instrument is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic. “We must seize every opportunity and engage with every stakeholder to deal with the plastics problem in its entirety,” said ...

The world is being inundated by plastic. More than Not only that, what is less known is that microplastics find their way into the food we eat, the water we drink and even the air we breathe. Many plastic products contain hazardous additives, which may pose a threat to our health. The good news is that we have science and solutions to tackle the problem –and a lot is already happening. What is needed most now is a surge of public and political pressure to scale up and speed actions from governments, companies and other stakeholders to solve this crisis. This underscores the importance of this World Environment Day mobilising action from every corner of the world. Individual and community actions underpin the systemic change required to transition to a less plastic-dependent economy, meaning everyone, you included, can play a role! GET INVOLVED! The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) suggests three options for getting involved: • This beat plastic pollution • Register your • Inspire change through social media. Access and share these Join us for the 2023 #WorldEnvironmentDay celebrations because we can #BeatPlasticPollution!