11 Apr 2024
Hey there, Earth Champions! 🌍✨
Each year, on April 22nd, the world celebrates Earth Day, a global event dedicated to environmental protection and sustainability.
Since its inception in 1970, Earth Day has evolved into a worldwide call to action, emphasising the importance of collective effort in preserving our planet.
What is the theme of Earth Day 2024?
Each Earth Day has a specific theme.
The 2024 theme is “Planet vs. Plastics”, which is focused on engaging governments, institutions, businesses, and the more than 1 billion citizens who participate annually in Earth Day to do their part – everyone accounted for, everyone accountable.
Why Businesses Should Celebrate Earth Day 2024 with their Employees
Observing Earth Day 2024 with your workforce is more than a celebration; it's a great opportunity to align your team with the company's sustainability goals.
This global event is the perfect occasion to engage employees directly with your organisation's sustainability strategy and invite them to play an active role in its implementation.
By involving staff in Earth Day activities, you're raising awareness and empowering them to contribute ideas and actions that support the company's environmental objectives.
It's a chance to reinforce the importance of everyone's participation in sustainability initiatives, driving home the message that collective action is key to making a tangible difference.
Celebrating Earth Day 2024 with Employees: 5 Actionable Steps
1. Host a Sustainability Idea Hackathon.
Hosting a Sustainability Idea Hackathon around Earth Day 2024 creates a unique opportunity for employees to contribute directly to your business's sustainability strategy. This single-day event invites teams across the company to brainstorm and present innovative solutions that could lead to significant plastic usage reductions and overall sustainability advancements.
2. Organise a Clothing Swap Shop.
Hosting a clothing swap event takes a stand against fast fashion and the plastic pollution of clothing production. By encouraging employees to swap instead of shop, you're actively reducing the demand for new textiles, many of which contain plastic. It’s a meaningful way to connect your business’s Earth Day activities with broader environmental goals, demonstrating a commitment to tackling plastic pollution through innovative, community-focused actions.
3. Office Cinema.
Consider organising a lunch-and-learn event featuring the documentary series Our Planet, which Netflix has made available for free on YouTube. This event aligns perfectly with Earth Day, offering an opportunity to reflect on the beauty and fragility of our natural world.
Hosting a viewing of "Our Planet" serves as a moment of mindfulness for the earth, encouraging employees to pause and consider the impact of their actions on the environment. This approach promotes environmental awareness and underscores the importance of conservation efforts in keeping with Earth Day's mission to protect our planet for future generations.
"Our Planet" provides an insightful exploration of the complexities of Earth's ecosystems, making it ideal for inspiring thoughtful discussion and greater environmental stewardship.
4. Share an Earth Day 2024 Quiz with your Team.
Sharing an Earth Day 2024 Quiz with your team is an excellent way to engage and educate them on sustainability and the "Planet vs. Plastics" theme. This interactive activity tests their knowledge and encourages discussions on environmental impact and personal responsibility. It's a fun, thought-provoking way to highlight the importance of Earth Day and inspire more eco-friendly choices.
To make this easier, we made a resource for you here.
5. Employee Awareness Training.
Global environmental awareness events like Earth Day 2024 are an excellent way to accelerate your organisation’s eco-literacy levels. Whether that’s an informal lunch-and-learn session or a more structured sustainability learning pathway, employee eco-literacy is crucial in reaching organisational net-zero goals to help the planet. The key is to make the training accessible so that everyone has the opportunity to take part.