Opinion | Little to celebrate on World Environment Day as Hong Kong scraps waste charging
- With sustainable development in retreat, world leaders are simply not doing enough to protect the environment and people from pollution, hunger, war and disaster
- Hong Kong’s decision to scrap its waste-charging scheme is disappointing, not least when officials are keen to find good stories to tell
For over half a century, World Environment Day, marked on June 5, has aimed to throw a spotlight on environmental problems every year since its inception by the UN Environment Programme in 1973.
But in recent years, there seems little to celebrate. The world faces greater risks threats amid wars and growing challenges instead of improvements in the tackling of climate change, other environmental problems and poverty.
The 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) at the core of the 2030 agenda comprise 169 targets for developing and developed economies to achieve by 2030.
But last year, a progress report found only 15 per cent of the targets on track. This suggests world leaders are not treating seriously most of the targets they are committed to achieving – that they are simply not doing enough to protect the environment and people from pollution, hunger, war and disaster.
World leaders must stop offering empty rhetoric and step up sustainability efforts.
