Earth Day 2024: History, significance, 'Planet vs Plastics' theme

International Mother Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year. The Earth Day theme for 2024 is 'Planet vs Plastics'.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) established this day in 2009, and it was first celebrated in 2010. The UNGA proclaimed this day in order to recognise the fact that Earth and its ecosystems are humanity’s common home and we need to protect Mother Earth to fight climate change, enhance people’s livelihoods, and stop the collapse of biodiversity.

We observe this day because more than a million animal and plant species are in danger of extinction through loss of habitat, primarily due to human activity. This day promotes harmony with nature and reminds us of our duty to protect all the species and ecosystems on our planet.

Mother Earth provides us with life and sustenance

This day reminds us that Mother Earth and its ecosystems provide us with life and sustenance. It’s a day that brings together environmental organisations all over the world to highlight the urgent need to protect and sustain our environment.

As we witness the continuous degradation of our planet, with plastic filling the oceans and turning them more acidic, countries are experiencing extreme heat, floods, and wildfires. Human greed is manifesting itself in deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, over-exploitation of natural resources for monetary benefits, land-use changes, and intensified agriculture and livestock production.

The selfishness of our human species with scant regard for the environment, ecosystems, animals and birds, plant life, rivers and oceans, is responsible for the gradual destruction of the only planet we have.

Call to action

This day is a call to action for every individual to realise his or her responsibility to future generations in leaving them an earth that will continue to support all life.

On International Mother Earth Day, let us pledge to restore our damaged ecosystems, fight climate change, prevent the extinction of various endangered species, and build a sustainable economy that enables all living beings to exist in harmony with one another and with Nature.