Earth Day sparks calls for investing in sustainable future

AMMAN — Affirming its commitment on Earth Day, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), reiterated the need to “raise individual consciousness and improve human behaviour towards nature”.

Celebrated annually on April 22, Earth Day is a global event devoted to recognising the importance of climate action and preserving nature. The day was first held in 1970 in the United States.

This year’s theme is “Invest in Our Planet”, focusing on solving the climate crisis through “choosing a prosperous and sustainable future and acting boldly and broadly”.

According to the Earth Day website: “This is the moment to change it all — the business climate, the political climate, and how we take action on climate. Now is the time for the unstoppable courage to preserve and protect our health, our families, our livelihoods.”

Marking Earth Day, the RSCN noted that Earth Day “closely” aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 15, which focuses on protecting, restoring and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

The RSCN added that Jordan will be one of the primary stations of environmentalist and yoga guru Sadhguru’s 30,000 kilometres motorbike tour across Europe and the Middle East. 

The tour aims to turn international attention towards the growing desertification problem, which ranks among the greatest environmental challenges, as described by the UN.

On his Twitter account Sadhguru wrote: “Soil extinction is not just another ecological challenge. It is an existential threat.”

This day reminds the world with the importance of formulating a “healthy relationship” with the environment and nature, based on balance and sustainability, according to a RSCN statement.

Acting RSCN Director General Fadi Al Naser said that this year’s celebration is focused on sustainable “investment in the planet” to sustain its ecological and climate balance.

“It is imperative to act urgently and not to mess with ecosystems,” he told The Jordan Times, stressing the importance of rethinking individual relationships with the earth.

On the occasion, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said that International Earth Day “is a chance to reflect on how humanity has been treating our planet”, while highlighting the challenges and crises facing the earth, such as climate disruption, nature and biodiversity loss, pollution and waste.

“We have only one Mother Earth. We must do everything we can to protect her,” the UN website quoted him as saying.