Ahead of World Environment Day, UN chief urges businesses to prioritise sustainability

“This planet is our only home,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said ahead of World Environment Day, which would be celebrated on Sunday, June 5. But he warned that the planet "cannot keep up with our demands.” As a result, Guterres emphasised that it was of utmost importance to safeguard the “health of the planet, including its atmosphere, ecosystems and finite resources." 

“We are asking too much of our planet to maintain ways of life that are unsustainable,” the UN chief cautioned, noting that this not only hurts the Earth but also its inhabitants.

Guterres noted that when all the world leaders called for a UN Conference on protecting the environment five decades earlier, they all agreed to protect the environment but the vows faded over time. “We are far from succeeding. We can no longer ignore the alarm bells that ring louder every day,” warned the top UN official. 

The Secretary-General also outlined recommendations to activate renewable energy everywhere by making renewable technologies and raw materials available to all, cutting red-tapism, shifting subsidies and tripling investment. “Businesses need to put sustainability at the heart of their decision-making for the sake of humanity and their own bottom line. A healthy planet is the backbone of nearly every industry on Earth,” he said.

World Environment Day

World Environment Day or Eco Day is around the corner again and world leaders are gathering to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the environment. This day is recognised on June 5 each year as a reminder that there is only one Earth and encourages governments and communities across the world to take serious action against climate change.

The aim of World Environment Day 2022, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is to transform economies and societies to make them more inclusive, fair and connected to mother Earth.

World Environment Day is celebrated annually with a unique theme that reflects the urgency to take action against the most eminent issues. The theme for this year is "Only One Earth" which "calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore our planet", says the UN Environment Programme. Besides, this year's celebrations will be hosted in Sweden's capital Stockholm and all the related events will be organised here.

(Image: UN)