There is only one earth, and it’s in danger. Our blue planet is losing its majestic ability to sustain life. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), there are more than 100 billion planets in our galaxy. Up till now, humans have been unable to find another planet completely capable of sustaining life. So, there is #OnlyOneEarth!
Why worry?
Decades of negligence have resulted in a ‘triple planetary emergency’[1]. Temperatures on the world level are rising at an alarming rate which has led to plethora of disasters, including droughts, heat waves, and floods. Continuous destruction of habitat has put an estimated 1 million species on the trajectory toward extinction. Disturbance in ecosystems have caused a rapid decline in the population making many species endangered. Pollution of Air, Land & Water have directly affected the wellbeing of all living things on earth.
What is World Environment Day?
In 1972 United Nations, at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, introduced the environment revival initiative known as “World Environment Day. The campaign aims.” to spread awareness about the environmental challenges and encourage a call to action to conserve and protect our ecosystems.
Pakistan has hosted the 2021 edition of “WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY” under the slogan of “Ecosystem Restoration”. This year’s campaign will be hosted by Sweden under the theme of # OnlyOneEarth. This year also marks 50 years of celebrating WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY since its inception in 1972.
Our Responsibility
Corporates and Industries (C&I) are the commercial backbone of Pakistan’s economy. The scale of their operations is massive enough to have a direct effect on society and the environment. In 2021, Industries contributed around 23% to the GDP, and currently, employees are 15.3% of the labor force [2]; however, Pakistan also produced 217 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) emissions in 2021[3] .
In order to promote collective action, all facets of the society must band together and work towards the revival of the lost ecosystems. C&Is can champion this cause by focusing on sustainable development, including increasing the adoption of renewable energy, reducing and recycling industrial waste, and introducing strict controls on commercial air, water & land pollution.
By focusing on sustainable development, Corporates and Industries (C&I) can revitalize environmental initiatives to save our planet as there is #OnlyOneEarth!