World Environment Day 2023: History, Significance, Theme, Quotes

Every year 5 June is celebrated as World Environment Day (WED) to encourage awareness for protecting the earth and the environment. The year 2023 will mark the 51^st year of observing the Environment day and will be celebrated with a new theme and enthusiasm.

Each year, the World Environment Day is hosted by different cities but attracts the attention of people from all over the world. A theme is decided every year to celebrate the day and people are encouraged to take a step forward towards preservation of the environment.

World Environment Day Upcoming Events

Below mentioned are the upcoming dates for World Environment Day for the next 5 years.

Event	Date	Day
World Environment Day 2023	June 5, 2023	Monday
World Environment Day 2024	June 5, 2024	Wednesday
World Environment Day 2025	June 5, 2025	Thursday
World Environment Day 2026	June 5, 2026	Friday
World Environment Day 2027	June 5, 2027	Saturday

World Environment Day 2023

Event	World Environment Day 2023
Date	June 5, 2023
Day	Monday
Declared by	United Nations
Abbreviation	WED
Other names	World Environment Day, Environment Day

Facts to learn about environment on World Environment Day 2023

1. On June 5, 1973, the first World Environment Day was celebrated.
2. World Environment Day has its very own anthem created in New Delhi, India in 2013.
3. More than 100 countries are involved in the public outreach holiday.
4. Reducing food wastage can help control global carbon emissions by 14%.
5. A resolution creating the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was also passed on June 5, 1972 by the UN General assembly.
6. According to the report provided by UN, with the current rate of population growth and consumption, three planets will be needed for sustenance by 2050.

World Environment Day History & Significance

In 1972, at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment which was held from 5 to 16 June, the United Nations held discussions on the effect of human actions on environment and steps needed for the betterment of the situation. It was finally decided that 5 June of every year will be observed as World Environment Day and the first World Environment Day was celebrated in 1973 with “Only One Earth” as their theme.

The main goal towards observing World Environment Day is to raise awareness on the issues like marine pollution, plastic pollution, air pollution, overpopulation, sustainable consumption, global warming, sustainable development, food security, illegal wildlife trade and sea-level increase.

World Environment Day 2023- Theme & Celebration

Each year, World Environment Day is celebrated with a theme. Many communities, governments and non-government organizations, celebrate the day by organizing events that draw the focus of people round the globe towards environmental issues and their solutions. In different countries World Environment Day is celebrated in different ways in the form of activities such as concerts, parades, rallies, campaigns etc. An anthem was also launched on 5 June 2013 dedicated to the celebration of World Environment Day.

Quotes to share on World Environment Day 2023

• “Our planet’s alarm is going off, and it is time to wake up and take action.” — Leonardo DiCaprio

• “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” — Mahatma Gandhi

• “When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can’t eat money.” — Alanis Obomsawin

• “Take a course in good water and air, and in the eternal youth of Nature you may renew your own. Go quietly, alone; no harm will befall you.” — John Muir

• “Environment is no one’s property to destroy; it’s everyone’s responsibility to protect.” — Mohith Agadi

• “A nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself.” — Franklin D Roosevelt

• “We cannot despair of humanity, since we ourselves are human beings.” — Albert Einstein

• “In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.” — Aristotle

• “He that plants trees loves others besides himself.” — Thomas Fuller

• “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.” — Jane Goodall

World Environment Day FAQs

What were the previous themes for World Environment Day celebration?

The theme for World Environment Day 2021 was “Ecosystem Restoration”, and for 2022 the theme was same as the first celebratory theme which was “Only One Earth”.

How many countries participate in the celebration of World Environment Day?

World Environment Day is being celebrated annually by more than 143 countries.

Who created the World Environment Day anthem?

The World Environment Day anthem was launched in June 2013 and was created by Kapil Sibal and Shashi Tharoor, then Union Ministers of India, at Indian Council of Cultural Relations in New Delhi.