World Environment Day, 5th June 2021

REIMAGINE, RECREATE, RESTORE

World Environment Day is celebrated every year on 5th June. This year’s theme is ‘Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.’ as the year marks the beginning of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030. This platform is to raise awareness for the conservation of the environment, forests, and biodiversity. It is a global call for action to massively scale up restoration reviving hundreds of millions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems.

The humanitarian crisis unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastation caused by Cyclone Tauktae and Cyclone Yaas reveals socio-economic vulnerabilities as well as highlights the need for planetary resilience. Balancing conservation with economic recovery and development should be our utmost priority. The pandemic has re-emphasized the need for sustainable lifestyles, responsible consumerism, nature-based solutions, and overall prudent management of natural resources.

The Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF) is contributing its bit for sustainable management of natural resources, through its various Sustainability Certification Standards, which have great potential to contribute towards achieving SDG goals, sustainable forest management, our international commitments for climate action, biodiversity conservation and land restoration. Certification is globally recognized as the demonstrable evidence for sustainable management of forests, trees outside forests, and other natural resources.

On the occasion of the World Environment Day, NCCF jointly with the Programme on Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is organizing a webinar for the Rubber Board, Ministry of Commerce, and Industry, Government of India on “Promoting Certification of Forests and Rubber Plantations for Long Term Sustainability of the Resource and Rubber Industry in India” on Friday, 4th June 2021. The objective of the webinar is to sensitize the stakeholders of the rubber industry about the significance of certification for the sustainability of rubber plantations and natural rubber-based industries.

Let us all pledge to restore the ecosystems save Mother Earth on this World Environment Day.