Every June 5th, the world comes together to celebrate World Environment Day and remind ourselves just how precious our ecosystem really is. It's the key to our survival, and measures need to be taken to always ensure that we have clean air and water. World Environment Day was established in 1972 by the UN General Assembly after discussions regarding human and environmental interaction at the first Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.
The first World Environment Day was themed "Only One Earth," and was held annually starting in1974. In 1987 it was decided that each year different countries would host the activities in order to give a greater global perspective on the different environments people live in. The common theme, no matter where WED is held, is the need to educate people on how to always look out for and preserve the environment. It raises awareness about issues like global warming, ocean polluting, human over-population, the protection of wildlife, and sustainable consumption.
The theme of 2020's World Environment Day is "Celebrate Biodiversity." It's reflective of the recent events that have taken place in Brazil, the US, Australia, Africa and the global COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Colombia is hosting the events in collaboration with Germany. Last year, China hosted and the theme was "Beat Air Pollution."