India to host World Environment Day 2018

India will host the global World Environment Day celebrations on 5 June 2018, the government and the UN jointly announced today.

“India will be a great global host of 2018’s World Environment Day celebrations,” said Erik Solheim, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Head, UN Environment at the announcement on Monday.

The government has also committed to organizing and promoting the World Environment Day celebrations through a series of engaging activities and events generating strong public interest and participation.

From pan India plastic clean-up drives in public areas, national reserves and forests to simultaneous beach clean-up activities – India will lead the initiative by setting an example.

“India is excited to host the World Environment Day this year on June 5. Indian philosophy and lifestyle have long been rooted in the concept of co-existence with nature. We are committed towards making Planet Earth a cleaner and greener place”, said Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

“Beat Plastic Pollution”, the theme for World Environment 2018, urges governments, industry, communities and individuals to come together and explore sustainable alternatives and urgently reduce the production and excessive use of single-use plastic that is polluting our oceans, damaging marine life and threatening human health.

India is emerging as a leader given it has one of the highest recycling rates in the world. It can be instrumental in combating plastic pollution. By hosting World Environment Day 2018, the Indian government is accelerating its leadership on an issue of tremendous magnitude.

World Environment Day is a UN Environment-led global event, the single largest celebration of our environment each year, which takes place on June 5 and is celebrated by thousands of communities worldwide.

Plastic Pollution facts:

• Every year the world uses 500 billion plastic bags

• Each year, at least 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans, the equivalent of a full garbage truck every minute.

• In the last decade, we produced more plastic than in the whole last century

• 50 per cent of the plastic we use is single-use or disposable

• We buy 1 million plastic bottles every minute.

• Plastic makes up 10% of all of the waste we generate.