Celebrated every year on April 22, Earth Day is an international call to action brings together 1 billion people from 192 countries to address the key environmental threats to the planet. As the largest secular observance in the world, Earth Day 2021 will focus minds on meeting the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommendations to halve CO2 emissions by the end of the decade.

A key message for this year’s event is: “As the world returns to normal, we can’t go back to business-as-usual.” It is essential that as countries begin easing Covid restrictions, we do not lose ground in the battle against climate change.  According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global CO2 emissions are already back to pre-pandemic levels and three days of climate action are planned to build momentum.

Earth Day 2021 will kick off with a global youth summit before moving on to focus on the importance of climate education. On 22 April EARTHDAY.ORG will host a live digital event to coincide with Joe Biden’s global climate summit. The US president has invited 40 world leaders to take part in a live-streamed summit intended to galvanize efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

US senator and environmentalist Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day back in 1970 in the wake of the catastrophic oil spill in Santa Barbara and saw 20 million citizens take to the streets. It led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the introduction of key environmental legislation. In the decades to follow, Earth Day went global and provided a platform for activism and debate.

Discussions will look beyond reducing our impact on the planet to address how we can repair the damage we have already done. The theme of this year’s event is “Restore Our Earth” and the EARTHDAY.ORG live digital event will incorporate workshops and discussions covering issues including natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovations to restore the world’s ecosystems.

Key figures taking part in Earth Day 2021 include Al Gore, Pope Francis and co-architect of the 2015 Paris Agreement Christiana Figueres. Organisers are encouraging everyone to lend their support, from individuals to big corporates. They have shared a toolkit to help people get involved, from organising a teach-in to educate people on the climate crisis to hosting a clean-up to pick up litter in your local area.

For business, Earth Day offers an opportunity to engage with the green agenda and demonstrate commitment to the cause. By putting sustainability at the heart of business strategy, companies can not only help reduce their environmental impact but reap the benefits of increased efficiencies and new revenue streams.

At Wylde Connections, we help companies transform their operations through more sustainable business practices. Our unique blend of services includes self-directed masterclasses and workshops, tutor-led training programmes, sustainability planning consultancy, development and implementation. Support is tailored to the needs of each client, wherever they may be on their sustainability journey.

To find out more about how we might help your business thrive please visit: www.wyldeconnections.co.uk/sustainability.