International Mother Earth Day: the planet must shift its paradigm | Photo: UN/Evan Schneider

On April 22, the planet celebrates International Mother Earth Day.

International Mother Earth Day was established in 2009 by the UN General Assembly. Resolution A/RES/63/278 was introduced by Bolivia and backed up by 50 member states.

The expression Mother Earth was adopted because it "reflects the interdependence that exists among human beings, other living species, and the planet we all inhabit."

António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), now proposes six climate-related actions to help shape the recovery from the novel coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic.

The UN chief says the world is facing "the biggest since World War II" and that we must work to save lives and minimize the impact of the social and economic crises that will emerge.

Guterres stresses that countries will have to manage the health threat while still having to tackle the environmental crisis and its consequent climate disruption.

The Portuguese calls the Covid-19 outbreak an "unprecedented wake-up call" that comes with a real "opportunity to do things right for the future."

António Guterres: the UN chief wants the world to commit to a greener era | Photo: UN/Mark Garten

A Paradigm Shift

So, he proposes all UN member nations six immediate actions to address the trouble times we're living in and recover from the plague:

  1. In the post-Covid-19 era, societies must focus on a clean, green transition to new businesses and jobs;
  2. Taxpayers' money should be used to rescue businesses that commit to sustainable growth and green jobs;
  3. Fiscal systems must shift from an outdated grey economy to a new green paradigm that will make people and societies more resilient;
  4. Public funds should be used to invest in sustainable projects and sectors that take into consideration the climate and the environment. In other words, it's time to put an end to fossil fuel subsidies, and polluters must start paying for their emissions;
  5. The variables of climate risk and opportunity should be embedded in the financial system, as well in public policymaking and infrastructures;
  6. The world needs to work together and cooperatively as a tight international community;

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