Environmental recognition days and awareness months, such as Plastic Free July, Earth Day and World Environment Day, are designed to raise awareness of environmental issues and promote sustainable practices, but do they truly help to achieve global net-zero goals and foster long-term environmental stewardship? Elliot Durrant, Sustainability Consultant at The Bulb explores whether recognition days are effective at generating the impact needed to propel us towards a sustainable future.
Green Fatigue
In today’s world, with environmental messaging everywhere and the urgency of the argument increasing, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Continuous exposure to sustainability messages can lead to green fatigue, with surveys indicating that 42% of people feel exhausted by the constant influx of environmental news. This feeling can lead to apathy and disengagement, the exact opposite of what is required if we are to reach our climate goals.
And then there is greenwashing, which the UN defines as “misleading the public to believe that a company or other entity is doing more to protect the environment than it is”. An example of greenwashing could be promising to offset carbon, rather than making actual emission cuts. The UN goes on to say that greenwashing can “promote false solutions to the climate crisis that distract from and delay concrete and credible action”. Basically, if we believe something is already being done, why push for it? Again, this practice can lead to complacency and inaction, not to mention undermining a company’s reputation if it is discovered.
With many companies jumping on the sustainability bandwagon, particularly around recognition days, distinguishing genuine efforts from greenwashing can be a challenge, and research shows that 58% of consumers are sceptical of corporate environmental claims.
Educated
Yet despite the problems around greenwashing and green fatigue, Earth Day 2023 – an annual event which began in 1970 to mark the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement – reached over 1 billion people globally, with 75% of participants stating they felt more informed about environmental issues afterwards.
This is particularly true when it comes to educating the younger generation and imbuing them with a sense of stewardship towards the environment. In 2022, World Environment Day activities included over 2,000 educational events worldwide, leading to a 20% increase in environmental science curriculum adoption in schools.
This demonstrates that when done properly and with a genuine desire to make a positive impact, environmental days can be a fun, accessible way to get people to re-engage. They can inspire, increase knowledge, and encourage people to make small changes.
Collective action
Events like Earth Hour, which ask everyone to spend 60 minutes doing something positive for our planet, have the potential to generate significant community engagement. In 2022 for example, Earth Hour led to over 1,000 community-led projects, including the planting of 5 million trees. When the situation is so urgent, initiatives like this, and the power they have to galvanise people behind a cause, shouldn’t be underestimated.
They can even influence policy. For example, The Paris Agreement international treaty on climate change, which sets legally binding goals for all nations to follow, came in to force 30 days after 55 nations (accounting for at least 55% of global emissions) ratified it. This was in November 2016, and today it has been ratified by 195 nations, (194 States plus the European Union). It gained significant public support following COP21-related environmental days, with social media mentions peaking at over 3 million.
On a roll
One of the arguments against environmental days is that once the day is over, people may go back to their normal lives and forget about sustainability, feeling that their involvement in that one day was sufficient, and that their ‘good deed’ is done. However, data shows that 35% of participants in Earth Day activities reported increased involvement in year-round sustainability initiatives.
There is however an argument for strong calls to action. The most effective recognition days that we’ve seen include strong follow ups post event. After the 2021 World Cleanup Day, 15 million participants in 180 countries engaged in local clean-up activities, demonstrating the potential for lasting impact. The Estonian-based NGO which runs World Cleanup Day produces toolkits and educational materials and runs ongoing projects aimed at behaviour-change year-round.
In conclusion, environmental recognition days can play a vital role in raising awareness and promoting environmental stewardship, and the power of these events to educate and inspire action shouldn’t be underestimated. The key to maximising their impact lies in ensuring that these days are coupled with transparent, credible actions and sustained engagement beyond the events themselves. By doing so, they can effectively contribute to global net-zero goals and promote a sustainable future.
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