Every year on June 5, the world celebrates World Environment Day, an event designed to draw attention to the most pressing environmental issues facing the planet and remind everyone on our planet of the importance of treating nature responsibly.
In 2025, this day takes on special significance, as climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss are becoming increasingly tangible and threatening.
World Environment Day was established by the United Nations in 1972 at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Since then, more than 150 countries have participated annually in various events, forums and initiatives dedicated to nature conservation. This day is not just a formal occasion, but a global call to action addressed to governments, companies and each and every one of us.
The theme for 2025 is “Nature’s Restoration: From Words to Action.” It emphasises the need to not just talk about problems, but to take real steps to restore ecosystems — from greening cities to preserving rivers and seas, from fighting waste to transitioning to renewable energy sources.
Global initiatives and examples
In 2025, large-scale events are planned in different countries around the world:
- India will host the largest river clean-up campaign in history.
- Germany will launch a programme to restore peatlands, which are natural carbon sinks.
- In Brazil, international environmentalists will launch a project to restore 1 million hectares of deforested land.
- In Russia, volunteer movements are stepping up efforts to clean up Lake Baikal and the Arctic from rubbish and oil pollution.
The UN is also promoting the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) project, which aims to restore billions of hectares of degraded land, seas and freshwater.
