Important Dates
These dates serve as important reminders of the environmental challenges we face and provide opportunities for individuals, communities, and organizations to come together to take meaningful action. They play a crucial role in fostering international awareness and cooperation for a more sustainable and environmentally-conscious future.
January
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Jan
1 - 31
|
Veganuary |
Veganuary was created to raise awareness and encourages people and businesses to move to a plant-based diet as a way of protecting the environment, preventing animal suffering, and improving the health of millions of people.
#veganuary
|
Jan
31
|
International Zebra Day |
International Zebra Day was created to raise awareness of the Grévy’s zebra. Grévy’s zebra are an endangered as they have suffered a loss of more than 54% of its total population. The loss has occurred rapidly in the last three decades because of zebras being poached for their hides and pelts.
#InternationalZebraDay
February
|
Feb
2
|
World Wetland Day |
World Wetland Day was created to raise awareness that nearly 90% of the world’s wetlands have been degraded since the 1700s, and we are losing wetlands three times faster than forests. Yet, wetlands are critically important ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation and freshwater availability.
#WorldWetlandDay
|
Feb
27
|
International Polar Bear Day |
International Polar Bear Day's was created to raise awareness and to conserve polar bears and the sea ice they depend on. They also work to inspire people to care about the Arctic, the threats to its future, and the connection of this fragile ecosystem to our global climate.
#InternationalPolarBearDay
March
|
Mar
3
|
World Wildlife Day |
World Wildlife Day was created to raise awareness and to celebrate all the world's wild animals and plants and the contribution that they make to our lives and the health of the planet.
#WorldWildlifeDay
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Mar
17
|
Great British Spring Clean |
Keep Britain Tidy was created to raise awareness about waste, with three goals – to eliminate litter, end waste and improve places. It means creating clean beaches, parks and streets. It means creating sustainable practices and eliminating unnecessary waste.
#GBSpringClean
|
Mar
22
|
World Water Day |
World Water Day was created to raise awareness about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water.
#WorldWaterDay
April
|
Apr
22
|
International Mother Earth Day |
International Mother Earth Day was created to raise awareness on the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, human-made changes to nature, and crimes against biodiversity like deforestation and illegal wildlife trade. These activities accelerate planetary destruction, emphasizing the need for transitioning to a sustainable economy benefiting both people and the planet.
#InternationalMotherEarthDay
May
|
May
20
|
World Bee Day |
World Bee Day was created to raise awareness in the role of pollinators like bees in sustaining ecosystems and food production. World Bee Day highlights the threats posed by human activities, it emphasizes pollinators' significance in supporting biodiversity and food security, with 90% of wild flowering plants and 75% of food crops reliant on them.
#WorldBeeDay
June
|
Jun
5
|
World Environment Day |
World Environment Day was created to raise awareness on the pressing environmental challenges of our times. This UN international day has become the largest global platform for environmental outreach, with millions of people from across the world engaging to protect the planet.
#WorldEnvironmentDay
July
|
Jul
15
|
Global Wind Day |
Global Wind Day was created to raise awareness about wind, its power and the possibilities it holds to reshape our energy systems, decarbonise our economies and boost jobs and growth. Wind energy is celebrated, information is exchanged and adults and children find out about wind energy, its power and the possibilities it holds to change the world.
#GlobalWindDay
|
Jul
22
|
National Marine Week |
National Marine Week was created to raise awareness about how marine areas are key to tackling climate change and have also had an enormous cultural impact on society. Our rocky coastlines, sandy beaches and sublime seas are wonderful places to explore.
#NationalMarineWeek
|
Jul
29
|
International Tiger Day |
Global Tiger Day was created to raise awareness about this magnificent but endangered big cat. The day was founded in 2010, when the 13 tiger range countries came together to create Tx2 – the global goal to double the number of wild tigers by the year 2022.
#InternationalTigerDay
August
|
Aug
10
|
World Lion Day |
World Lion Day raises awareness of declining lion populations, leading to the establishment of the Big Cat Initiative (B.C.I.) in 2009. The B.C.I. aims to protect and preserve remaining lion species, achieving milestones such as over 150 grants awarded, mitigating nearly 3,000 threats, and removing 13,000 life-threatening snares to date.
#WorldLionDay
|
Aug
12
|
World Elephant Day |
World Elephant Day was created to to highlight the urgent challenges facing Asian and African elephants. Conservation efforts aim to enhance protection against illegal poaching and ivory trade, preserve habitats, improve captive elephant welfare, and reintroduce them into natural sanctuaries. A number of global organisations prioritise these goals for elephant conservation.
#WorldElephantDay
|
Aug
19
|
World Orangutan Day |
World Orangutan Day was created to raise awareness that from 1992-2000, the population of the Sumatran orangutan is considered to have declined by more than 50%. Its relative, the Bornean orangutan population fell nearly 43 percent in the past decade, from 35,000 in 1996 to 20,000 in 2006. Since these studies were done, deforestation rates have continued to climb which means the actual populations could be well below these.
#OrangutanDay
September
|
Sept
9
|
Fairtrade Fortnight |
Fairtrade Fortnight was created to raise awareness that communities are facing extreme hardship due to unfair trade and are feeling the worst effects of climate change: increasingly extreme weather, more frequent plant disease and more insecure access to food. Fairtrade works with farmers and workers so they can improve their living standards, invest in their communities and businesses, and protect our shared environment.
#FairtradeFortnight
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Sept
16
|
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer |
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer was created to raises awareness about its crucial role in shielding Earth from harmful sun rays, preserving life. Phasing out ozone-depleting substances not only safeguards the ozone layer but also aids climate change mitigation, protects human health, and preserves ecosystems by reducing harmful ultraviolet radiation exposure.
#InternationalOzoneDay
|
Sept
26
|
World Environmental Health Day |
World Environmental Health Day was created to raise awareness of the myriad ways external forces can impact how people eat, live, and grow. These forces can be about addressing our natural environment, but they can also be the consequence of human beings' actions. A primary activity of any public health strategy is information sharing. By understanding what the risks are, Environmental Health Professionals can better deploy resources to protect everyone’s health each and every day.
#WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay
October
|
Oct
4
|
World Animal Day |
World Animal Day was created to raise awareness and encourage animal welfare organisations, community groups, youth and children’s clubs, businesses, individuals and others to organise events in recognition of World Animal Day. Involvement is growing at an astonishing rate, and it's now widely accepted and celebrated in a variety of different ways in many countries, with no regard to nationality, religion, faith or political ideology.
#WorldAnimalDay
November
|
Nov
6
|
International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict |
The International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict highlights the link between resource exploitation and conflict, stressing the importance of awareness and prevention.
#EnvironmentInWarProtectionDay
|
Nov
25
|
National Tree Week |
National Tree Week was created to raise awareness and to bring everyone together with a shared mission to care for trees and our planet’s future. We inspire and empower organisations, government, communities and individuals with the knowledge and tools to create positive, lasting change at a national and local level.
#NationalTreeWeek
December
|
Dec
5
|
World Soil Day |
World Soil Day was created to raise awareness on the importance of healthy soil and to campaign for the sustainable management of soil resources. Over the last 70 years, the level of vitamins and nutrients in food has drastically decreased, and it is estimated that 2 billion people worldwide suffer from lack of micronutrients, known as hidden hunger because it is difficult to detect.
#WorldSoilDay
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Dec
11
|
International Mountain Day |
International Mountain Day aims to raise awareness about the vulnerability of mountains to climate change and overexploitation. As temperatures rise, mountain communities, often among the poorest, face increased challenges. Melting glaciers threaten freshwater sources downstream, impacting millions. Urgent action to reduce carbon emissions and preserve mountains is crucial for all.