The United Nations proclaimed 22 May The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity 2012 is “Marine Biodiversity”.
World Environment Day is an annual event that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. World Environment Day activities take place all year round but climax on 5 June every year, involving everyone from everywhere. The theme for World Environment Day 2012 is “Green Economy: Does it include you?”
International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater – the theme for 2012 is Water and Food Security.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made sustainable energy one of his five priorities that will guide his second 5-year term. Specifically, he will direct the United Nations to extend energy’s reach in order to combat endemic poverty. Universal access to energy, improved efficiency and enhanced deployment of renewable sources are ambitious goals, and the Secretary-General is leading a Sustainable Energy for All initiative to make them achievable.
This initiative will call for private sector and national commitments and attract global attention to the importance of energy for development and poverty alleviation. In recognition of the importance of energy access for sustainable economic development and supporting achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations General Assembly has designated 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.
The United Nations has declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives with the intention of raising public awareness of the invaluable contributions of cooperative enterprises to poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. The Year will also highlight the strengths of the cooperative business model as an alternative means of doing business and furthering socioeconomic development.
The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day. World Habitat Day 2011 will be celebrated on 3 October 2011 and the Global Celebration will be hosted by the Government of Mexico.
The Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) will take place in Brazil on 4-6 June 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. The objective of the Conference is to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and address new and emerging challenges.
In the lead-up to the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development you can participate in Rio+20 – Pictures of the World. Ensuring that our future needs can be met, and balancing our consumption with the environmental limits of the planet, is a collective effort that will impact all levels of society. What do you think that will look like? How would your life be different under a new paradigm of sustainability? What aspects of a sustainable lifestyle would you enjoy? Share your thoughts in pictures.