Rising global temperatures are a clear sign that humanity must rapidly cut the greenhouse gas emissions swamping the planet, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said today. 

In a video address, Guterres warned global warming, and the climate change it is unleashing, is upending lives and livelihoods around the world. But he said by slashing emissions – including by embracing renewable energy – the world can still avoid the most dire consequences of climate change. 

“This is the moment to act – for our environment and for our future,” he said.

Teachers are at the frontline of preparing learners to become climate ready. 

On World Environment Day, UNESCO is celebrating the teachers who every single day adapt their lessons to develop the knowledge, values and skills that children need to shape a more sustainable future. 

Read the full story here.  

To mark World Environment Day, a group of UNEP staff, youth and experienced Wikimedians from the Wikimedia Kenya User Group came together in Nairobi to create, improve and expand environmental content across Wikimedia platforms. 

Part of the Wiki for Sustainable Futures initiative, the event resulted in 336 edits and 15 new articles.  

Through hands‑on editing, skills‑building and dialogue, edit-a-thons like these support the UN's broader information integrity work by promoting trusted, evidence‑based information in an evolving digital landscape. 

Climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation are dramatically reshaping the lives of women, girls and communities, increasingly putting at risk their food and personal security, their livelihoods, and their health.  

 On World Environment Day, UN Women calls on governments, partners and communities to act with urgency on the interdependent issues of climate action and gender equality. Progress on one depends on progress on the other. 

Read the full statement here. 

NTV Kenya dedicated a segment of its morning broadcast to the critical need to address climate change, the theme of World Environment Day. The segment featured in-depth discussions on building climate resilience and on the vital role of youth in driving environmental action. 

Watch the full conversation 

On the occasion of World Environment Day, the UN Chamber Music Society is organizing a virtual concert and album launch of “Don’t Ruin My World – Soil of Life” by Julian Marley. The performance will be broadcast on UN Web TV and the official UN YouTube channel. 

All streaming proceeds will support the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, funding humanitarian relief for the climate crises the Marley family has long urged us to address.

UNEP OzonAction is marking World Environment Day by spotlighting the cooling sector as a frontline for climate action.  

Skilled refrigeration and air-conditioning technicians are an often-overlooked lever of climate protection. But good servicing practices, responsible refrigerant management and improved energy efficiency are critical in protecting both the ozone layer and the climate. 

Read more here.

On the eve of World Environment Day, the UN Human Rights chief praised defenders of the environment who speak up, mobilise and take concrete action to protect the planet, communities and democracy. 

Volker Türk was speaking in Strasbourg, France, at the first-ever European Forum on Environmental Human Rights Defenders.  

“The environmental justice movement is a powerful human rights alliance uniting science, law, ethics, philosophy, and art – an alliance that cannot be defeated in a fair contest,” he said. Read more.