Thank you all for your wonderful contributions, initiatives and words of wisdom, and for making this World Environment Day truly remarkable. 

With more than 6,000 events across the globe and countless pledges and commitments by individuals, business and communities, air pollution has been brought to the attention of millions. 

The battle is far from over and we count on every one of you to keep making changes in your daily lives for a cleaner, healthier tomorrow.

We hope one day to remember today, 5 June 2019, as the day the world took action to #BeatAirPollution.

From monitoring air quality to transport to waste management, this World Environment Day Solar Impulse reminds us that technology is here to help. Read here about are five innovative ways to tackle air pollution.

Our oceans are the largest carbon sink on the planet. This big blue diffuser, for decades helping to buffer the impacts of climate change, is finally giving way. It is sending us a signal, and we ignore it at our peril.  

-- Miao Wang, 2018 Young Champion of the Earth for Asia and the Pacific

On World Environment Day this year Swiss apparel industry leaders will come together to sign and launch the Kerenzerberg Charter on Sustainable Textiles. The charter provides guiding principles to businesses in Switzerland and abroad who seek to make the industry, and their role in, it more socially and environmentally sustainable.

The Charter provides 11 guiding principles calling upon business leaders to ask questions about their raw materials, insist upon transparency along the value chain, and continuously seek improvement in sustainability. It asks companies to take responsibility for how workers are cared for from safe working conditions to fair wages and worker development. And it calls on businesses to take responsibility for protecting the environment: to seek ways to combat water and air pollution, avoid toxic chemicals, strive for raw material diversity, and care for animal welfare.

Collaborators include Tobias Meier from Ecos, an environmental consultancy, and board member of MaxTex, an international association of companies active in the textile industry; Martin Klötli from Glärnisch Textil; Andrea Gerber from Nahwerk IDM; Philipp Scheidinger from Swiss Fair Trade; Susanne Rudolf from Fashion Revolution Switzerland; and Jeannette Bucher, CEO of Lola studio.

“Switzerland is world leader in the consumption of organic and fair trade food per inhabitant. Switzerland should also take the lead in sustainable textiles, not only in consumption per inhabitant, but also in the change of the textile and clothing industry to sustainability. The Kerenzerberg Charta can guide us to this way in collaboration with many actors,” says Tobias Meier, of ecos and MaxTex Switzerland.

"The visible beauty of fashion, disguises the invisible impact the industry has on the air we breathe. From sourcing onwards, we have tools today that can help us redesign our processes to minimize our footprint," adds Coty Jeronimus, of Tasklab.org.

Learn more about the Swiss Charter for Sustainable Textiles or download the charter and its 11 guiding principles.

Photo by: Timmy Memeti

Doctors and health professionals around the world are increasingly alarmed about air pollution. In California, air quality in Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley is alarmingly poor on at least 200 days a year. As many as one in six children have asthma, compared to the national average of one in twelve. Here, Unmask My City has been working with the community to monitor air quality and change mentalities.

En Californie, les médecins agissent contre la pollution de l'air

Les médecins et les professionnels de la santé du monde entier s'inquiètent de plus en plus de la pollution de l'air. En Californie, la qualité de l'air à Fresno et dans la vallée de San Joaquin est extrêmement médiocre au moins 200 jours par an. Un enfant sur six est asthmatique, contre un sur douze au niveau national. Unmask My City collabore avec la communauté pour surveiller la qualité de l’air et faire évoluer les mentalités.

En California, los médicos toman medidas contra la contaminación del aire

Los médicos y profesionales de la salud de todo el mundo están cada vez más alarmados por la contaminación del aire. En California, la calidad del aire en Fresno y en el valle de San Joaquín es alarmantemente pobre al menos 200 días al año. Hasta uno de cada seis niños tiene asma, en comparación con el promedio nacional de uno de cada doce. Aquí, Unmask My City ha estado trabajando con la comunidad para monitorear la calidad del aire y cambiar las mentalidades.

Ella—and every one of the 600,000 other children who died from #AirPollution this year a—deserved to have full, healthy lives. They deserved to have their hopes and dreams. And they deserved to breathe clean air. Clean air is a human right. #BeatAirPollution #EveryBreathMatters

El transporte produce 25% de las emisiones en América Latina y el Caribe. Mientras el aire de la mayoría de las capitales de la región ha llegado a ser casi irrespirable, el ciclismo ha capturado la imaginación de miles de latinoamericanos.

Cuatro de las principales urbes de la región han tomado medidas para promover opciones de movilidad sostenible que reduzcan la contaminación del aire y están fomentando el uso de la bicicleta como una medida concreta para limpiar el aire.

Lea más sobre cómo la Ciudad de México, Bogotá, Buenos Aires y San José están animando a sus ciudadanos a conducir menos y pedalear más.

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now," says a Chinese proverb. Now is also a great time to stop deforestation and restore damaged ecosystems, and bring back these living air purifiers into our daily lives...

Les arbres sont nos meilleurs alliés contre la pollution de l'air

"Le meilleur moment pour planter un arbre était il y a 20 ans. Le deuxième meilleur temps est maintenant", dit un proverbe chinois. Maintenant est également un bon moment pour mettre fin à la déforestation, restaurer les écosystèmes endommagés et ramener ces purificateurs d’air vivants dans notre vie quotidienne...

Los árboles son nuestros mejores aliados contra la contaminación del aire

"El mejor momento para plantar un árbol fue hace 20 años. El segundo mejor momento es ahora", dice un proverbio chino. Ahora también es un buen momento para detener la deforestación y restaurar los ecosistemas dañados, y traer de vuelta estos purificadores de aire a nuestra vida diaria ...

Mountain glaciers have been steadily retreating over the past few decades due to climate change. Now, studies show that air pollution is also contributing a great deal to their demise.

Los glaciares se están derritiendo más rápido debido a la contaminación del aire

Los glaciares de montaña se han ido retirando progresivamente en las últimas décadas debido al cambio climático. Ahora, los estudios muestran que la contaminación del aire también está contribuyendo mucho a su desaparición.

Les glaciers fondent plus vite à cause de la pollution de l'air

Les glaciers de montagne ont progressivement reculé au cours des dernières décennies en raison du changement climatique. À présent, des études montrent que la pollution atmosphérique contribue également beaucoup à leur disparition.