Earth Day 2023 (22nd April 2023)
Earth Day, which began in 1970 and takes place every year on the 22nd of April, has mobilized more than 1 billion people to make positive changes for our common home. But what exactly is Earth Day?
It is an opportunity for people across the world to work together, connect, celebrate, and raise awareness about how vital it is that we make tangible steps to protect and preserve our planet. Actions take place at many different levels, including individual, business, investment, national, and international. However, the vision of Earth Day, at its core, holds the power of the individual as the most influential.
The theme for this year’s Earth Day is ‘Invest in Our Planet’ – focused primarily on engaging governments, institutions, and businesses across the globe, whilst still recognising the power of the individual. From an institutional and business level, Earth Day is calling for the uptake of green business practices by recognising the unfortunate reality that is that the private sector objectively wields the most power to drive the most significant and fast-acting change. From a governmental perspective, those in political power have a duty to incentivise their citizens, businesses, and institutions to create a sustainable economic framework in which to operate. From the individual level, citizens must use their power as responsible consumers to push for sustainable solutions through voting, lobbying, and using their purchasing power wisely.
“Like the industrial, space, and information revolutions of the past”, argues EARTHDAY.ORG, “all sectors of society can and must play major roles in the green revolution – this time with existential responsibilities to get it right. Together, we must invest in our planet”.
