About the theme: Climate action
The planet doesn’t argue. It doesn’t negotiate. It sends signals—rising seas, raging wildfires, heatwaves, melting glaciers. We said 1.5°C was the limit. We are crossing it.
For decades, the world has heard the climate story—warnings, targets, distant deadlines. Too often, the response has been clouded by noise: delay, distraction, denial.
But listen closer now. Beneath the noise, another signal is rising. Solar panels stretch across rooftops. Wind turbines line the horizon. Cities are being redesigned for people. Forests are being replanted. Positive tipping points are taking root in every corner of the planet.
World Environment Day 2026 focuses on climate change—on the urgent signals the Earth is sending and the signals we choose to send back. UNEP’s global campaign calls on all of us to step in, to move further, to steer a world already in motion. The question is no longer if change comes, but how we guide it and how fast it happens.
About the Host Country: Azerbaijan
On 5 June 2026, the Republic of Azerbaijan will host the global commemoration of World Environment Day in Baku.
Located at the crossroads of East and West along the historic Silk Road, Azerbaijan is a land of remarkable natural diversity. Its landscape spans two major climate zones—subtropical and temperate—and encompasses 8 distinct climate types, from subtropical forests to alpine ecosystems, creating rich biodiversity.
Climate action and green growth
Azerbaijan is pursuing green growth and renewable energy at pace. As a Paris Agreement Party, it has committed to reducing emissions by 40% by 2035 (from 1990 levels). It also aims to increasing renewable energy to 30% by 2030. Large-scale projects are underway, including the 230 MW Garadagh Solar Plant and 240 MW Khizi–Absheron Wind Farm, with additional 1 GW+ capacity projects in development.
Urban sustainability is advancing in Baku with modern low- and zero-emission buses, EV infrastructure, and smart city solutions. The Garabagh and East Zangezur regions are being transformed into “zero-emissions” zones, blending renewable energy, ecosystem restoration, and post-conflict development. Modernized water management and climate-resilient agriculture further strengthen adaptation in drought-prone areas.
Azerbaijan advanced its environmental policy focusing on reducing the negative impact of plastic packaging waste on the environment since 2019 by adopting Action Plan. Through new legislative reforms it prohibited the import, production, as well as sale or provision to consumers in trade, public catering, and other service facilities of single-use plastics and polyethylene bags with a thickness of up to 15 microns.
Global cooperation and COP29 legacy
As host of COP29, Azerbaijan advanced the global climate agenda, securing landmark decisions on climate finance and carbon markets, while launching initiatives linking climate action with biodiversity, energy transition, water, agriculture, and societal impact.
Building on this momentum, Azerbaijan’s national campaign for World Environment Day 2026 highlights the planetary crises of climate change and ecosystem degradation and their interconnected impacts on people and nature. Under the theme “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,” the initiatives emphasize that nature is not optional—it is central to climate resilience and our collective future.
Moreover, Azerbaijan will further enhance its contribution to global environmental and climate agenda through a series of other major events it is hosting this year. These include, the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in May, held in in partnership with UN-Habitat; the third informal meeting of the UNFCCC Heads of Delegations in Shamakhi in July; and UNFCCC’s Baku Climate Action Week.
Nature, biodiversity, and restoration
Azerbaijan has made significant strides in protecting its natural heritage. Over 10% of the country’s territory is now under protection, including expanding national parks and reserves. A notable achievement is the safeguarding of the UNESCO-listed Hyrcanian Forests, some of the world’s oldest ecosystems, hosting over 3,000 plant species and diverse wildlife. Marine and coastal ecosystems, particularly in the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest enclosed water body, are protected through reserves and conservation programs, even as the region faces alarming water-level declines. Species reintroduction projects further restore ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity resilience.