Earth Day 2023 - Invest In Your Planet

This year, the theme set by the charity 'Earth Day', is “Invest In Our Planet”.

This theme highlights the importance of dedicating our time, resources, and energy into solving climate change and other environmental issues. Investing in our planet is necessary to protect it and the best way to pave a path towards a prosperous future. Here are the main points this years theme covers:

Build A Healthy Economy

Sustainability is the path to prosperity for humanity and businesses alike. Companies who’ve developed strong Environment Social Governance (ESG) standards are seeing better profitability, stronger financial performance, and happier employees. There is no longer a choice between going green and growing long term profits - it is crucial for businesses of all sizes to act now!

Build An Equitable Future

Governments hold the key to transforming our economy by empowering green business practices as the ethical and lucrative option. Clean energy jobs provide earnings +25% the national median wage! The fossil fuel industry profits over $5.9 trillion annually (and rising). It is time to make our voices heard and get our government leaders to launch the sustainability revolution.

Build Our Only Home

What each of us does, and how we do it, has a massive ripple effect on our ecosystems, as well as the pace of corporate and government action. Gen Z provides inspiration, with 45% having stopped buying from brands with poor ethical and sustainability practices. Through civic actions and our day-to-day life choices, we have the power to support the businesses who actively choose eco-friendly practices and climate-friendly investments. There is no time more vital than the present to take action and INVEST IN OUR PLANET!

But how can YOU help? Here are some easy ways to begin investing in your planet:

Plant trees - The benefits of trees in the fight against climate change are now well understood. They lock up carbon, reduce pollution and flooding, and support people, wildlife and farming in adapting to the climate crisis.

Reduce plastic consumption - The unfortunate truth is that recycling plastic is extremely inefficient – only 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled, and around 60% of plastic is discarded in landfills and oceans. Reducing the use of plastic is essential because it prevents pollution and reduces the demand for fossil fuel consumption while saving natural resources and energy. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which are contributing to climate change.

Try and choose sustainable fashion - The fashion industry is incredibly harmful to the planet. Second only to oil, the industry is one of the world’s largest polluters, responsible for 20% of global industrial water pollution. Most clothes are made from plastic and thousands of harmful chemicals are used in the textile mills around the world, which are dangerous to both the environment and the people working with them.

Written by Nicole Brennan