World Environment Day is the biggest environmental awareness day on the United Nations calendar. It falls on 5 June, and a different country hosts each year.
It always lands on 5 June.
How to use the World Environment Day Countdown#
- Open the page. The world environment day countdown starts as soon as the page loads and follows the clock on your device.
- Pick which one. Stay on the next World Environment Day, or look a year further ahead.
- Read the date. World Environment Day is on 5 June every year. The weekday is listed under the big number.
How it began#
The UN General Assembly set up the day in 1972, to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment on 5 June. The first World Environment Day was held in 1974. The United Nations Environment Programme leads it and picks a theme and a host country each year, with past themes covering plastic pollution, biodiversity, air quality and land restoration.
Not the same as Earth Day#
The two are often confused. Earth Day is on 22 April and grew out of a grassroots movement in the United States. World Environment Day is a UN event with a host nation. Many schools, companies and councils run something for both.
Tree planting, river clean-ups and plastic-free weeks are the usual choices. Plan at least a month ahead.
When is World Environment Day in the next few years?#
World Environment Day is on 5 June every year.
| Year | Date | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 5 June | Saturday |
| 2028 | 5 June | Monday |
| 2029 | 5 June | Tuesday |
| 2030 | 5 June | Wednesday |
| 2031 | 5 June | Thursday |
Recent hosts and themes#
Each year a different country hosts the global event. Recent examples include India in 2018 with a focus on beating plastic pollution, China in 2019 on air pollution, Pakistan in 2021 on restoring ecosystems, Sweden in 2022, Côte d'Ivoire in 2023 on land restoration and drought, and Saudi Arabia in 2024. The Republic of Korea hosted in 2025, again on plastic pollution. UNEP, the UN Environment Programme, has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, the only UN headquarters in the southern hemisphere.
Measuring your own footprint#
The day is a good time to look at your own habits. Plastic bags are an easy start, and our bag footprint calculator shows what switching to reusables saves. Food is another large part of most people’s footprint, and our vegan footprint calculator estimates the effect of changing what you eat. Transport and electricity come next.
Planning an event#
Work back from Sat 5 June 2027, a Saturday in 2027:
| When | What to do | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 6 weeks out | Pick the activity, such as tree planting or a river clean-up | Sat 24 April 2027 |
| 4 weeks out | Get permissions and tools, and recruit volunteers | Sat 8 May 2027 |
| 1 week out | Check weather and the planting or clean-up site | Sat 29 May 2027 |
If you plant trees, June is the start of the rains in much of West Africa, which is a good time for seedlings to take hold.
Quick facts#
- The UN Environment Programme was created after the 1972 Stockholm conference, the first big UN meeting on the environment.
- The world produces roughly 400 million tonnes of plastic each year, and only a small share of all plastic ever made has been recycled.
- Air pollution is linked to millions of deaths a year, according to the WHO, with indoor smoke from cooking fires a big factor in poorer countries.
- Trees take years to grow, so a planting needs a plan for watering and protection in the first dry season.
Frequently asked questions#
5 June.
The United Nations Environment Programme.
Yes. Earth Day is on 22 April. World Environment Day is on 5 June.
The UN Environment Programme leads it, together with a host government that changes each year. The day was set up by the UN General Assembly in 1972, and the first one was held in 1974. UNEP chooses a theme, sets up a global campaign and invites governments, businesses and individuals to take part.
Pick one change and stick to it for the whole of June: carry a reusable bottle and bag, switch off appliances you are not using, walk or share a ride a few days a week, or eat a meat-free day each week. You can also share the day’s theme with friends and ask your workplace or school what it plans to do.
UNEP announces a new theme each year, often months in advance, along with the host country. Past themes have focused on plastic pollution, air quality, biodiversity and land restoration. Check the UNEP website for the current year, and tailor your event to it.