IN RUSSIA AND IN A NUMBER OF OTHER COUNTRIES, THIS DAY IS KNOWN AS THE EARTH DAY

International Mother Earth Day was proclaimed in 2009, by the United Nations General Assembly under Bolivia-led Resolution. It recognizes that the Earth and its ecosystems are our home and that in order to achieve a just balance between the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations of humanity, it is necessary to promote harmony with nature and the Earth.

The first Earth Day was celebrated in 2010. But the date 22th April was set in 1970 in the USA after the environmental disaster connected to the oil spill in Santa Barbara (California), in order to draw attention to environmental problems and to raise global public awareness of the challenges to the well-being of the planet and all the life it supports. Then other countries joined the event on April 22, organizing environmental actions. Interest in environmental actions contributed to the fact that in 1992 the United Nations held the “Earth Summit” in Rio de Janeiro, known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), that had many great achievements:  “Rio Declaration on Environment and Development”, “Agenda 21”, the Declaration on the principles of forest management, and two major global agreements were opened for signature: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Every year, more than one billion people unite in various actions dedicated to Mother Earth Day, which provide an opportunity to learn about the challenges that humanity faces to preserve the planet and the possibilities of addressing these challenges. Today, the Earth is facing a triple planetary crisis – climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, plastic pollution. This triple crisis threatens the well-being and survival of millions of people around the world, putting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals at risk.

For this International Mother Earth Day, let's remind ourselves - more than ever - that we need a shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet.

The theme of Earth Day 2024 is “Planet vs Plastics”

Part of Earth Day 2024 is advocating for a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040, in recognition that plastics pose a danger to humans and the natural environment, as well as the future of the climate.  As plastics break down into microplastics, they release toxic chemicals into our food and water sources and circulate through the air we breathe. Oceans filling with plastic and turning more acidic.

Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people. Restoring our damaged ecosystems will help to end poverty, combat climate change and prevent mass extinction. But we will only succeed if everyone plays a part.