Facts and
Figures

The #OnlyOneEarth campaign ended in 2022. For the latest please visit For latest visit here.

 

#OnlyOneEarth facts and figures for World Environment Day 5 June 2022
 

The big picture

  • We are using the equivalent of 1.6 Earths to maintain our current way of life, and ecosystems cannot keep up with our demands.
  • The gap between what we need to spend to adapt and what we are actually spending is widening. Estimated costs of adaptation continue to rise and could reach US$280-500 billion per year by 2050 for developing countries alone.
  • Individuals and civil society must play a key role in raising awareness and urging governments and the private sector to make large-scale changes.

 

Climate change

 

Nature and biodiversity loss

 

Pollution

  • Air pollution causes about 7 million premature deaths every year, one in nine of all deaths. Nine out of 10 people breathe unclean air, making it the most significant environmental health risk of our time.
  • Only 57 per cent of countries have a legal definition for air pollution. In 2019, 92 per cent of people experienced air pollution in excess of safe World Health Organization guidelines.
  • The most recent SDG monitoring cycle revealed that over 3 billion people are at risk because they don’t know enough about the health of surface and groundwater resources.

 

Waste

 

World Environment Day 2022

  • World Environment Day on 5 June is the biggest international day for the environment. Led by UNEP and held annually since 1973, the event has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach, with millions of people from across the world engaging to protect the planet.
  • Sweden is hosting World Environment Day 2022 and will also host Stockholm+50 from 2 to 3 June. Stochkolm+50 marks the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972. This put sustainable development on the global agenda and led to the establishment of World Environment Day.
  • “Only One Earth” was the slogan for the Stockholm Conference. World Environment Day 2022 is re-energizing the slogan to emphasize that planet Earth is still the only liveable planet we have and to push for transformative actions to reset the balance between people and the natural world to create a better future for all.
  • Over 150 countries are participating, and the UN will engage governments, businesses, civil society, schools, celebrities, cities and communities to raise awareness and celebrate environmental action.
  • Sweden aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045, is a frontrunner in greening its economy, and is rapidly adopting low-carbon and renewable infrastructure and technology.