China will host the Global World Environment day celebration for 2019 scheduled to take place on June 5 2019. This year’s celebration will be observed under the theme ‘Air pollution’.
The announcement was made today by the Chinese’s Vice Minister for Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu, and Joyce Msuya, the Acting Head of UN Environment. The announcement comes as environment ministers from across the globe are participating in the world’s highest-level environmental forum in Nairobi.
“China will be a great global host of 2019’s World Environment Day celebrations. The country has demonstrated tremendous leadership in tackling air pollution domestically it can now help spur the world to greater action. Air pollution is a global emergency affecting everyone China will now be leading the push and stimulating global action to save millions of lives.” Msuya explained during the Fourth UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi.
The Nairobi meeting from March 11th -15th 2019 ran under the theme “Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Consumption and Production”.
Air pollution deaths
It’s estimated that approximately 7 million people worldwide die prematurely each year from air pollution, with about 4 million of these deaths occurring in Asia-Pacific, Africa. World Environment Day 2019 will urge governments, industry, communities, and individuals to come together to explore renewable energy and green technologies, and improve air quality in cities and regions across the world.
China, with its growing green energy sector, has emerged as a climate leader. The country owns half the world’s electric vehicles and 99 percent of the world’s electric buses. By hosting World Environment Day 2019, the Chinese government will be able to showcase its innovation and progress toward a cleaner environment.
According to a new UN report on air pollution in Asia and the Pacific, implementing 25 technology policies could see up to a 20 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide and a 45 per cent reduction in methane emissions globally, leading to a third of a degree Celsius saving of global warming.
World Environment Day is a UN Environment-led global event, which takes place on June 5 every year and is celebrated by thousands of communities worldwide. Since its establishment in 1972, the event has grown to become the single largest celebration of our environment each year.
The Chinese Minister said his government has committed to organizing World Environment Day celebrations across multiple cities, with Hangzhou, in the province of Zhejiang, to host the main event. The day comes also at a time when least developing countries in Africa are also experiencing the challenge of Air pollution.
Most countries are still using poor technologies in Industrial production which ends up polluting the Air in the Atmosphere other pollution comes from agricultural inputs, poor transport systems which produces a lot of greenhouse gases such as Carbon dioxide among other dangerous gases.
BY SAMUEL NABWIISO
