World Environment Day: urgent action needed to tackle climate crisis

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Every year on June 5th, the world celebrates World Environment Day. It’s a day dedicated to raising global awareness and taking action to safeguard the environment, which remains one of the world’s most important and urgent problems.

On this day, mayors of numerous European cities spoke about the importance of tackling the global climate emergency, which has grown to be one of the defining issues of our era, with global implications and unprecedented magnitude.

The campaign for World Environment Day 2022 is #OnlyOneEarth, calling for global collective, transformative action to restore the planet. The tagline “Only One Earth” was used during the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm in 1972, which made sustainable development a global priority, and eventually resulted in World Environment Day being established.

Sweden, which was the host country of this year’s World Environment Day, is quickly implementing low-carbon and renewable infrastructure and technologies, and is considered one the leaders in the global green transition. World Environment Day took place just a few days after the UN’s high-level Stockholm+50 meeting, which brought together numerous major groups and stakeholders to a high-level international meeting convened by the United Nations General Assembly.

On World Environment Day 2022, mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis attended a special event which was held in the National Garden in the center of the Greek capital. He discussed the growing importance of recycling in the Greek city with representatives from various other organizations. Mayor Bakoyannis stressed on social media that it was necessary to think about the environment every day, because that was the only way for cities to become ‘’humane, friendly and sustainable.’’

In Cyprus, the municipality of Limassol joined forces with local volunteers and participated in a big clean-up event of the Olympia Coast. In Romania, mayor of Iasi Mihai Chirica stated on social media that World Environment Day was ‘’not only a good opportunity to take action to go green, but also a time to reflect on the climate change that has become increasingly evident in recent years.’’

Mayor Chirica stated on social media: ‘’In recent years, the municipality of Iași has taken concrete action in the field of environmental protection. Green spaces are gradually being expanded, gardens and public parks are being regularly maintained, all these measures being complemented by European projects which, once implemented, will increase the amount of land where nature is protected.’’

Mayor of Vienna Michael Ludwig also stated on social media that climate change was ‘’one of the most important challenges of our time.’’ That is why, according to the mayor of the Austrian capital, climate protection, resource conservation and sustainability take central positions in the new Smart Climate City strategy and the Vienna’s climate roadmap.

‘’The goal is for Vienna to become CO2-neutral by 2040. Social justice must also apply to climate protection. It is a fact that those with lower incomes, the elderly and the vulnerable suffer particularly from the effects. Ultimately, people and their needs are at the centre of this holistic climate protection policy, from which all Viennese will benefit: through new jobs, new opportunities, liveable neighbourhoods or even more sustainability,’’ mayor Ludwig stated.

International days are great opportunities to raise public awareness about important topics and mobilize political will and resources to address global issues. In the case of the climate crisis, the degree of emergency truly requires a quick and determined action from everybody. Cities together with their mayors also have a responsibility to promote and actively work towards a greener and more sustainable future. (photo credit: Freepik)