Photo of the Earth from space
Picture taken by the Apollo 11 crew on their way home.
Photo:Credit: 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. Even these days, we are still facing COVID-19, a worldwide health pandemic linked to the health of our ecosystem.

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.

This is the first Mother Earth Day celebrated within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. 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 remimd 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!

Making peace with nature

The report “Making Peace with Nature: A scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies” translates the current state of scientific knowledge into crisp, clear and digestible facts-based messages that the world can relate to and follow up on. Get to know the current status of the world’s urgent issues and opportunities to solve them.

UNEP REPORT
the Earth seen from Apollo 17

Photo contest!

a photo camera next to a fish and a tree

 

Mother Earth Day kicks off #MyClimateAction photo contest. Participate by submitting photos or videos that demonstrate creative actions and solutions to inspire others! 

Did you know?

  • The planet is losing 4.7 million hectares of forests every year – an area larger than Denmark.
  • A healthy ecosystem helps to protect us from these 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.
A photo of Archana Soreng in black and white

Climate activist Archana Soreng belongs to the Kharia tribe in Odisha, India. Indigenous communities like hers make up only 5% of the world’s population. But they protect more than 20% of our planet’s land and 80% of its biodiversity. Get to know through Archana why we need to preserve the rights and recognize the critical role of indigenous communities in protecting our planet and its natural resources.

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.

illustration of people with clock, calendar, to-do list and decorations

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.