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NEW ZEALAND is proud to be hosting

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

5 June 2008

Te Rā Taiao o te Ao, 5 Pipiri 2008 - Kāti te whakaputa hauhā

Latest news

A Sweet Surprise for Golden Bay Residents During World Environment Day

Golden Bay residents felt the sweet benefits of sharing rides thanks to the volunteers of the Golden Bay Environment Centre, Nelson.

Good Habits at Te Maara

A ‘learning festival’ called Good Habits at Te Maara brought together local schools, refugee, new migrant and Pacific Island communities from the Porirua region to celebrate World Environment Day.

Waihi School Kids Celebrate World Environment Day

In Waihi, World Environment Day was celebrated through school activities in the Waitete Catchment. Residents of Waihi planted native sedges and toetoe to help stabilise stream banks and create flood protection.

More news

World Environment Day 2009 is being hosted by Mexico and this year's theme is "Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change". Visit the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Environment Day website for more information.

New Zealand played host to World Environment Day 2008 in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on June 5. The Ministry for the Environment was the lead government agency coordinating the event alongside UNEP. Wellington was the host city, however World Environment Day was celebrated actively throughout New Zealand.

Why World Environment Day?

World Environment Day is observed annually in more than 100 countries, and is one of the most popular days on the United Nations calendar. It is an opportunity to raise awareness and promote action on national environmental issues. New Zealand businesses and communities utilised World Environment Day to tie-in their own environmental and sustainable activities and messages and gain leverage from World Environment Day’s status and media focus.

Kicking the Habit

The theme for World Environment Day 2008 was climate change with a focus on moving towards a low carbon economy and lifestyle. “Kick the Habit” (the ‘carbon’ habit) was the international slogan for the event.

What happened on the day?

World Environment Day 2008 was celebrated for an entire week, 2 – 8 June. A wide range of events took place including plantings, symposiums, debates, carless days, Art exhibitions and walking school buses. See the list of main events for further detail. You can also view the press releases, speeches, news stories and photos for World Environment Day events here.