In 1972, the United Nations (UN) designated June 5 as World Environment Day, during the celebration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment that was held in the city of Stockholm in Sweden. At this same conference, the UN General Assembly adopted an important resolution that led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
Two years later, in 1974, World Environment Day was celebrated for the first time with the slogan “Only One Earth” and since then and to this day, World Environment Day is celebrated every June 5.
The motto of World Environment Day in 2022 #UnaSolaTierra It emphasizes to us that the time to recover the balance between people and nature is running out, in such a way that Climate change, the loss of ecosystems and biodiversity, the increase in pollution and waste, the drying and contamination of rivers and lakes, among many other alterations to the environment, are a clear sign that life on the Planet is at serious risk. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic accentuated energy and food crises, as well as access to healthcare and education for millions of people around the world.
Due to this entire situation, the only way that exists to provide viable solutions to this great problem is to reconnect with nature, that is, recognize the enormous value it has and the serious damage we are causing it, promoting unsustainable development.
It is time to heal the serious wounds caused to the Planet, modifying the way we live, eat, move, work and relate to the environment. It is time to move towards a sustainable future, recovering what has been lost and protecting what still exists, preserving life on Earth.
It is still time to avoid the great catastrophes that would arise from not being able to contain Global Warming, to be able to reverse the loss of ecosystems in addition to cleaning the atmosphere, soil and water, and to be able to do so it is necessary to work hard to achieve the Goals of Sustainable Development (SDG) achieving the goals established in the 2030 Agenda.
In this context, in 2010 the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL) promoted the establishment of an institutional policy of transition towards sustainable development, also creating the Secretariat of Sustainability, the only one of its kind within higher education institutions. , public and private, throughout the country.
After a little more than two decades of promoting sustainability in university environments, at the UANL we have experienced important changes in favor of sustainable development, such as containing the growth of the Carbon Footprint derived from carrying out its daily activities, the installation of a policy of care and preservation of the natural areas found within the university campuses, reducing the growth of energy and water consumption, promoting the proper management of waste, but above all incorporating the values into the comprehensive training of students. , knowledge and tasks of sustainability, in order to train professionals of the highest technical and human quality, capable of transforming their reality from the perspective of sustainability, which has allowed the UANL to be currently recognized as the most sustainable of Mexico.
In 2022, as is customary, the UANL will celebrate Environment Week, from June 5 to 12, with a series of academic and social intervention events in favor of the environment, with the participation of the university community, endorsing our commitment. to support the construction of a better world in which we can live in harmony with nature.
Only if we achieve a great change in our relationship with nature, will it be possible for us to safeguard life on the Planet.