Theme: Time #ForNature
With our ever-increasing demands, humans have pushed nature beyond its limits. In the last 50 years, the human population has doubled but the global economy and trade have grown nearly four-fold and ten-fold, respectively. The emergence of COVID-19 has underscored the fact that, when we destroy biodiversity, we destroy the very system that supports human life. By upsetting the delicate balance of nature, we have created conditions for pathogens – including coronaviruses – to spread. Around half the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) depends on nature. Our oceans and forests sustain billions of people and provide green jobs, including 86 million employment opportunities from forests alone. Four billion people rely primarily on natural medicines. Nature-based solutions – such as afforestation and using greenery to cool our cities and buildings – can provide around one-third of the emissions reductions needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Host country
This year – despite the ongoing pandemic that has devastated the global community – Colombia, in partnership with Germany, hosted the main World Environment Day celebrations, streamed live online from Bogotá. Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez and Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), led global calls to declare it is “Time #ForNature,” a call to action to combat the accelerating species loss and degradation of the natural world.
Impact
From Kenya, Thailand and Canada to the International Olympic Committee to Apple – governments, organisations and businesses made commitments #ForNature. Building on a dynamic global communications campaign, UNEP inspired and coordinated online events which were accessed by people from every country in the world in this historic effort to unite for nature. And the world responded, showing clearly that there is a groundswell of support for the environment. Millions of people – many of them confined to their homes due to the pandemic – came together online to remind us to, “Wake up! It’s Time #ForNature”. In spite of logistical limitations as a result of the pandemic, governments, the private sector, civil society and individuals across the globe joined in World Environment Day events, announcements and calls to acknowledge the importance of nature to our health, our economies and our societies.
The Time #ForNature campaign was launched with the goal of educating the public about the importance of nature and inspiring people to act and make their voices heard. The campaign had unprecedented reach on social media – the number of visitors to UNEP’s website was higher than ever before. It also helped shape the global narrative around nature at a time when other pressing issues, like COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement, were taking centre stage globally.