World Environment Day, Also Known As WED

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N A V O D I K U R U P P U 'The climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win. The climate crisis is caused by us and the solutions must come from us. We have the tools: technology is on our side.' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

Overview 5th June marks the 47th World Environment Day, also known as WED. Established by the United Nations in 1974, the global programme features the contribution of over 143 nations every year, allowing governments, businesses, organisations and individuals to address pressuring environmental issues relevant to our era such as global warming, sea pollution, human over population and sustainable consumption. Every year, a different country is appointed to host WED by presenting a theme and a strategy and this year the event will be held in Pakistan. This dynamic feature of WED allows various countries to show the positive results reached at a national, regional and international level and to advance sustainable operations, in order to minimise the effects of climate change. WED 2021 presents the theme “Generation Restoration”, a plan to restore the planet by 2030.

The strategy proposed these years consists of:

1. Empower a global movement 2. Finance restoration on the ground 3. Set the right incentives 4. Celebrate leadership 5. Shift behaviours 6. Invest in research 7. Build up capacity 8. Celebrate a culture of restoration 9. Build up the next generation 10. Listen and Learn

UN International Days such as WED are assets to the achievement of the objectives of the UN Charter and promote understanding of and action on key political, social, cultural, humanitarian or human rights concerns. It is an influential occasion to prompt ideas, plans and policies with the cooperation of all stakeholders that have an enduring effect and consistency to reach fundamental and attainable purposes with constancy.

MCANDREWLEADERSHIP.UK MCANDREW LEADERSHIP COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives. The restrictions led us to drastically change our daily behaviour at work, in public and with our family and friends in order to slow the spread of the virus and save lives. Some of us had to quickly adapt to a working or studying from home and restrain ourselves from the use of public transport for safety and some of us had to give up on certain passions such as travelling and spending time with our loved ones, affecting our mental health. However, these circumstances highlighted our disposition to sacrifice valuable aspects of our lives for the general safety and health of the community and society and our actions led to a positive by product on environment.

Studies have been developed showing how those changes to our behaviour positively impacted the environment by comparing numbers before and during the pandemic. Air pollution is decreasing, and water quality has ameliorated. Nima Pahlevan, a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, analysed the pandemic's impact on water quality around the world. According to his research, the water has become clearer in the western Manhattan area as there were fewer people commuting to Manhattan for work during the lockdown. “Once we return to pre-pandemic behaviours, water quality will revert as well. Many of the environmental improvements that researchers are seeing won't last if the world goes back to its pre-pandemic ways”.

MCANDREWLEADERSHIP.UK MCANDREW LEADERSHIP Who must be held accountable? As shown above, individual action is key to develop and promote a determined attitude to solve environmental problems. Our personal choices such as recycling, reducing the consumption of non-eco-friendly goods and services, investing in energy-efficient appliances and speaking up are cardinal steps for being a good citizen and advance.

However, individuals are not the only stakeholders. At a higher level are the actions and the policies of governments and large corporations affecting the planet to an extent incomparable to us consumers’ activity, merely being the tip of the iceberg. A 2017 report demonstrated that 100 energy companies are accountable for 71% of all industrial emissions since human-driven climate change was officially recognised.Another study published by the journal Environment International reports that volumes of plastic exported for recycling from the EU contributed to ocean littering. Portions of the plastic are carried to countries in South Asia with poor waste management practices. The results indicate the UK, Slovenia, and Italy are exporting a higher share of plastic outside of Europe and see a higher share of their recyclable plastic waste ending up as ocean debris.

Developing and maintaining an eco-friendly individual behaviour is necessary but these high-ranking actors must be addressed and insisted on to reach substantial goals as proposed by the WED 2021.

MCANDREWLEADERSHIP.UK MCANDREW LEADERSHIP As difficult as it could sound, on May 28 the Royal Dutch shell was ordered to cut carbon dioxide emissions deeper and faster than it had arranged. Shell is well-known for being an unethical company, breaching its legal duty of care by producing environmental damage across the world and undermining the 2015 Paris Agreement. The lawsuit was filed by seven environmentalist groups including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth Netherlands and it is the first time that a lawsuit has successfully targeted the business model of a large fossil fuel producer implying that those of all corporate polluters, such as steel producers and airlines, are under threat and will be held accountable. From speaking up, boycotting non-eco-friendly brands, sharing knowledge on social networks and demonstrations to joining an advocacy group or a political party, these are some of the ways that citizens can influence governments policy- making.

Global Action If we want to make changes to our lifestyle and approach to support environmental purposes, it is important to begin with small steps such as speaking up and volunteering in order to fully understand the issues and the goals. An example of a project that allows this is the Ecosystem Restoration Camps, a non-profit global group that fights issues such as climate change, extinction and desertification through restoring degraded landscapes all around the world. The 37 camps in 26 countries, among which France, Portugal, Kenya, India, Egypt, Somalia and Brazil are physical places where all stakeholders can come together to restore the planet in the next 10 years as proposed by the WED. This is pursued through the regenerative practices that require expert design plan, leadership and people. The main goal is to reach 1 million people and 100 camps by 2030 and restore degraded ecosystems. These platforms are also available for those who just want to learn and transform their perception of their relationship with the planet. The camps allow you to see yourself as part of nature and not separate from it, enabling individual transformation and strong success. Thanks to experts, advisors and the integration of a global IT platform, ERC are a well-grounded initiative for everyone. Their objectives are:

To train people in techniques for restoring land and provide practical opportunities for people to practice new approaches to landscape restoration. To build research, training and innovation centres to engage people in ecosystem restoration.

MCANDREWLEADERSHIP.UK MCANDREW LEADERSHIP To manage a flow of volunteers of all ages to restore agricultural and natural ecosystems. To increase the organic matter, carbon content and water retention capacity of the soil to stimulate large scale carbon sequestration. To improve the livelihoods of farmers, landowners and local communities around the camps.

Conclusion World Environment Day is an event that reminds us how us as individuals, our actions and efforts are important to reach attainable goals set for a more sustainable world in the next decade. The spark of the COVID-19 virus and its consequences is an event affecting everyone’s health and well-being, just environmental issues. The same way we have been driven to act wisely and cautiously to reduce the negative impact of the pandemic on us and other people, so can we for the damages brought by climate change and pollution. Alongside with our personal development as good citizens, governments, businesses and firms are the key actors in our global order that have to be propelled as well to operate with functioning solutions and policies. To do this we ought to start with small changes and attempts such as learning and understanding our place on this planet and the connection we have with it. “The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction” – Rachel Carson.

MCANDREWLEADERSHIP.UK MCANDREW LEADERSHIP References https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/ https://www.nrdc.org/experts/josh-axelrod/corporate-honesty-and-climate- change-time-own-and-act https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201208162957.htm https://www.ft.com/content/f18269ee-c9d8-45c4-bbee-28561b065e6b https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zfj8xyc/revision/3 https://ecosystemrestorationcamps.org/foundation/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec9VEbFiIAA https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/coronavirus-covid19-culture-social- behaviour https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/dutch-court-orders- shell-set-tougher-climate-targets-2021-05-26/ https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/12-quotes-to-inspire-climate-action/

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