World Environment Day: Why you? Why me?

Last Tuesday, the 5th of June, people from all across the globe joined forces to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the “World Environment Day” (WED), an event initiated in 1972 by the United Nations to highlight the impact of our bad practices upon the sustainability of our environment. The event is unique in nature as it creates a much needed platform from which the global community can confer and initiate independent projects which cumulatively will jumpstart the protection and the sustainability of the source of our existence: our environment.
WED is a global day for positive environmental action. The beauty of this year’s theme is that it is all-inclusive and not limited to policy makers — but extends itself to you, to me, to our neighbors and to our community. Just as the theme suggests, “Green Economy: Does it include you?” Yes it most definitely does!
Joining — in on the solution table is no more an option — it is an obligation and a duty. Simply put, all of us must work toward creating lifestyles and businesses that promote the practices that lower carbon emissions; practices that ensure the efficient use and management of resources; practices that are socially fair… and more importantly, practices that sustain our environment for thousands of generations to come.
Well that’s one unique aspect of this year’s theme: Another aspect is that this time around, the United Nations Environment Program is challenging us all to take up an activity that makes us agents of change working toward the “green economy” mentioned above, and once done, we then share our efforts with the world. Activities will be judged in one of five categories, with winners receiving a new vehicle from Kia... The UNEP’s website is full of suggestions and ideas both creative and fun. The website also contains publications that detail the catastrophic nature of our environmental degradation, as well as information that proves that going green not only serves the environment but creates jobs, and increases revenue.
For whatever its worth, lip service does pay — but only for a while. In the long term though, when reality hits, it hits hard. And the reality of our endangered environment has been knocking at our door for some time now — but we chose to ignore its call. Our environment is decaying right before our eyes. Man-made disasters are altering our ecosystem faster than we can imagine… and pretending that this is someone else’s problem or waiting around for someone else to take action is no longer an option, for we are all stakeholders in this tragedy.
Saudi Arabia is full of energetic young minds constantly on the lookout for new ways of being useful and productive. In fact, Saudi Arabia is full of innovative businesses constantly on the lookout for ways in which to behave responsibly. World Environment Day is not only on the 5th of June: It is today, tomorrow and every single day thereafter… All we need to do now is to be part of the solution that we hope to see… We do not need to wait till next year to take action now!

President TLC Consultancy