World Environment Day '24: Land Restoration & Sustainability
World Environment Day, observed annually on 5 June, aims to increase awareness and action for environmental protection. The 2024 theme, 'Our Land, Our Future', focuses on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience.
With each year’s event carrying a unique theme, the day encourages positive change across more than 150 countries. The United Nations (UN) describes World Environment Day as the largest global platform for environmental outreach, highlighting urgent environmental issues.
In 2023, it celebrated 50 years since its inception, with millions worldwide participating.
Impact on energy and sustainability
Hosted by Saudi Arabia, the 2024 World Environment Day emphasises the intersection of land restoration, desertification and drought resilience with energy and sustainability.
These themes highlight the critical need for renewable energy sources, which reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change impacts on land degradation and drought.
Energy efficiency is also a focus, promoting conservation measures that lower overall energy demand, reduce costs and minimise environmental footprints.
Speaking ahead of World Environment Day 2022, Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), stated: “We are running against the clock. As we look to a future of heatwaves, droughts, floods, wildfires, pandemics, dirty air, wars, and plastic-ridden oceans, action is more important than ever.”
Raed Albasseet, Group Chief Environment & Sustainability Officer at Red Sea Global, said: "Our generation is the first to fully comprehend the enormous threat to our planet’s land and we might be the last one to have the opportunity to reverse the course of destruction.
"Therefore, it is vital that businesses, governments, communities and NGOs urgently work together to prioritize the restoration of land ecosystems by replanting forests, rewetting marshes, reviving soils and so on."
He added: "At Red Sea Global, we’re pursuing a regenerative approach to tourism development. This means going beyond conservation to actually enhancing the environment. One example is our Mangrove Nursery, established to aid us in our goal to plant as many as 50 million mangroves by 2030. Already we have achieved one million outplanted and will outplant a further two million before the year is out. These mangroves both beautify our destinations and provide shelter for diverse wildlife. They will also help us reach our goal of carbon neutrality once fully operational, with the capacity to absorb up to 5-10 times more carbon than other plants.”
Promoting innovation and cooperation
World Environment Day addresses land degradation and desertification by fostering innovation and technology, enabling policy development, and encouraging international cooperation. The 2024 focus aims to emphasise restoration projects, drought-resilient practices, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy use in arid regions.
The world’s commitment to these areas underscores the importance of sustainable practices in creating a resilient and sustainable future. By spotlighting these critical issues, World Environment Day 2024 aims to inspire action and advocacy for a healthier planet.
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