#UNRC Shombi Sharp on World Environment Day 2022

Fifty years ago, at the Stockholm Conference, climate activism witnessed one of its most iconic moments – a global call to protect our “Only One Earth”. Today, half ahttps://youtu.be/VbTUPY8PCQw century later, these words ring out more urgently than ever. The latest IPCC Report tells us that we are on the fast track to climate disaster, in many respects we are already there. The climate is heating faster than people and nature can absorb, lives & livelihoods are at stake. Millions of species are threatened with extinction. And pollution continues to poison our air, land and water. Yet together we can still save our planet. We need bold leadership to keep the goal of 1.5 alive. We need mass action, each one of us coming together. And I am optimistic… because of India, where sustainability has long been a way of life where governments, businesses and households are working together to ensure rapid growth is green growth and where young people are taking action to make their communities resilient. The Prime Minister’s Panchamrit commitments, including net zero, major investments in renewables, a ban on single-use plastics, and progressive climate coalitions are just some examples of India’s growing climate leadership. This World Environment Day, we revisit the slogan, Only One Earth, to drive home a clear message – we must accelerate the shift from harming the planet to healing it India is playing a central role here and on the global stage, and we at the UN in India are committed to this journey together with you!