Photo of the Earth from the space.
Picture taken by the Apollo 11 crew on their way home.
Photo:NASA (image restored by Toby Ord)

When Mother Earth sends us a message

Mother Earth is clearly urging a call to action. Nature is suffering. Oceans filling with plastic and turning more acidic. Extreme heat, wildfires and floods, have affected millions of people.

Climate change, man-made changes to nature as well as crimes that disrupt biodiversity, such as deforestation, land-use change, intensified agriculture and livestock production or the growing illegal wildlife trade, can accelerate the speed of destruction of the planet.

That is why we need to recover our ecosystems. Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people. Restoring our damaged ecosystems will help to end poverty, combat climate change and prevent mass extinction. But we will only succeed if everyone plays a part.

For this International Mother Earth Day, let's remind ourselves - more than ever - that we need a shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. Let’s promote harmony with nature and the Earth. Join the global movement to restore our world!

Act now for our Mother Earth

Join our Act Now campaign today and discover simple daily actions to shrink your environmental footprint, plus expert guides on energy, travel and food to help you go even further.

the Earth seen from Apollo 17

Did you know?

  • The planet is losing 10 million hectares of forests every year – an area larger than Iceland.
  • A healthy ecosystem helps to protect us from diseases. Biological diversity makes it difficult for pathogens to spread rapidly.
  • It is estimated that around one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction.

Download the Act Now app!

three mobile phones over an image of the planet Earth and other environmental topics

Every one of us can make choices to protect nature, tackle climate change, and take care of our planet. Download the mobile app to see the difference your actions make!

Climate Solutions

We all have a role in climate action. We must work together to meet the commitments of the 2015 Paris Agreement. But... what is exactly climate change and what does the Paris Agreement say? What actions are being taken and who is carrying them out? What are the latest scientific reports on the subject? Are we in time to save Mother Earth? Discover it here.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations’ leading global authority on the environment, driving transformational change on the triple planetary crisis: the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature, land and biodiversity loss, and the crisis of pollution and waste.   Join its green revolution and get involved!

an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.